Community DescriptionWest Greenwich, Rhode Island (West Greenwich Critical Resources Atlas, n.d.)
Introduction
The community description for West Greenwich was written with the intentions of showing where West Greenwich stands academically, economically, and health/welfare-wise compared with the rest of the state and the country. Based on these standings, one can make conclusions about the quality of schools and student performances in West Greenwich. Factors stated in this report all have impacts on student performances. Welcome to West Greenwich!
West Greenwich, Rhode Island is located in Kent County, RI, and is one of the smallest rural towns in the state. It is 51 square miles, but despite its large land area, there are only about 6000 residents in the town. This is due to the large amount of conservation land; 47% of the town’s land is preserved and has many beautiful state parks. The children that make up the town are not very diverse, with 91% of them identifying at white, and the rest of the 9% identifying as either black, Hispanic, Asian American, and Native American. (Town of West Greenwich Rhode Island, n.d.) Environment and Geography West Greenwich is a small rural town in Kent Country, RI with the area code 02817. The town is around 51 square miles, but don't let that deceive you, the town only has 6,135 (as of the 2010 census) residents. This leads to 121.2 people per square mile. Only .7 of the 51 miles are water while the rest is all land, West Greenwich does not boarder the Atlantic Ocean. Majority of this land is town preserved. At 47% this includes Arcadia State Park, URI/W. Alton Jones Campus and the Big River Management Area. The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Sociiety and the West Greenwich Land Trust also have protected several large parcels, the latest being the 1600 acre Tillinghast Preserve. Economic Well Being Majority of the people within West Greenwich are able to live at a relatively wealthy life style. At the West Greenwich school statistics show that the median family income is $103,897 compared to $68,507 for the median family income of Rhode Island. There is a property tax of $22.55 per household thousand. The average cost of rent is $910, compared to $1,176. Only 15% of children live in single-parent families, while there are 31% of children in Rhode Island. Children living in grandparent headed households is only 5%.Only 6.5% of children live in families below the federal poverty threshold, while 17.9% of children in Rhode Island do. Only 1% of children are in families receiving cash assistance, followed by only 92 students are apart of the SNAP program (food stamps). Health/Family Indicators
Home life plays a very critical role in a child's performance at school. Children who live in a stable, secure home are more likely to come to school focused, prepared, and ready to learn than those who are distracted by family hardships. In the community of West Greenwich, Rhode Island, family environments seem to be mostly stable in comparison to the rest of the state. For example, a 2010 report showed that only 15% of children live in single-parent households, compared to 31% of children in the entire state of RI. Births reported to mothers with less than a high school diploma in the community is a small 4% as of 2012, while in the state of Rhode Island, the rate is 16%. Teen birth rates in the town are miniscule, with a 0.0099% rate to teens aged 15-19 as of 2012. In the entire state, this rate for the same group of people is 0.025%, which is still very low, but much higher than the rate of teen births in the town of West Greenwich. The rate of child abuse and neglect is also very low in the town compared with the rate in the whole state. A 2012 report showed that only about 7 children per 1000 children are abused or neglected in the town of West Greenwich, while about 14 in 1000 children face child abuse in the state as a whole. In addition, that 2012 report also showed that 0 in 1000 children in West Greenwich have an incarcerated parent, while 11 in 1000 children in Rhode Island have an incarcerated parent. The rate of home-related issues for children in West Greenwich are very low compared with children in the rest of the state. This will have an effect of the kids of West Greenwich’s performance in school. With less distractions and distresses at home, kids have a chance to focus and complete work in a safe, encouraging environment where affluent parents are there to help students grow academically. (West_Greenwich_2013, n.d.) Early Learning/Intervention
Young students who seem to be struggling at a young age or who have learning disabilities need to get help at a very young age, or they may end up suffering academically for the rest of their educational careers. The rate of students participating in early-learning/learning enhancement programs in West Greenwich are very low compared to the state of Rhode Island. For example, the rate of children enrolled in full day kindergarten is 0%, while in the rest of the state, this rate is much higher at 68% (reported in 2012). There are studies showing that full day kindergarten is very beneficial to young children, and is key to the beginning stages of learning development. In West Greenwhich, the rate of children under the age of 3 participating in Early Intervention programs is only 8%, while the rate for the rest of the state is 12% as of 2012. Also, only 0.004% of the children participating in Head Start are from West Greenwich. In comparison to the rest of the state, not many young children are taking advantage of Early Intervention and Head Start programs, which could be interpreted in a couple ways. One being that children in the town aren’t in need of these programs, which would be a good scenario. Another being that the parents of children in West Greenwich aren’t proactive enough to recognize that their child needs help and get it for them. Children reported in 2012 who are enrolled in special education was reported at 18% in Rhode Island, and at 15% in West Greenwich. This rate is around average in West Greenwich compared with the state. From this data, it can be concluded that many young children aren't highly involved in early education enhancing programs in West Greenwich. This could be because students don't need these services, but based on the number of students enrolled in special education in West Greenwich, this seems unlikely. This could be detrimental to the future of these kid’s academic endeavors, because it is known that early education is essential to success later on in the classroom. (West_Greenwich_2013, 2012) Academic Indicators
Of all of the factors that determines a community’s academic success, test scores seem to have the highest value. In the small community of West Greenwich, students are scoring above average on standardized tests compared with the rest of the state. Of all the fourth graders living in the community, 83% scored at or above “proficiency” level in reading, and 80% scored at or above proficiency in math. As for eighth graders in the community, a stunning 87% scored at or above reading proficiency levels, which was 10% higher than the state average. 73% of the eighth graders in West Greenwich also scored at or above proficiency in math, compared with 58% in the rest of the state. In West Greenwich juniors, 61% score at or above proficiency in math, while only a small 34% achieved this level in the rest of Rhode Island. Rhode Island fourth graders rank 15th in the country for reading skills, and 27th for eighth grade reading skills. These statistics are based off of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test results in 2012. As for high school graduation rates, West Greenwich graduates about 90% of students enrolled in high schools, which is very high compared to the graduation rate of the state, 77%. Rhode Island has the 23rd highest graduation rate in all of the US. West Greenwich is a high scoring town, with many students graduating from high school relative to the state of Rhode Island, and in the entire country. (Education 2013 NEW, 2012)
Conclusion
All in all, West Greenwich is a very privileged community that hasn't taken advantage of their wealth yet scoring very well compared to the rest of Rhode Island. Most households in West Greenwich make around $25,000 above the average. Many of the homes are close-nit families, only 15% of children live in single-parent households, compared to 31% of children in the entire state of Rhode Island. Even those these families are very privileged, they do not take advantage of their wealth and have 0% of students enrolled in kindergarten. This is frowned upon because it is a very crucial stage in life for a child's development. Shockingly, West Greenwich students are excelling in their academics. Compared to the rest of the state fourth graders are scoring over 80% above "proficiency" in broth reading and math. Juniors scored 61%above proficiency in math, while only a small 34% achieved this level in the rest of Rhode Island. Fourth graders are ranked 15th in the country for reading skills, and 27th for eight grade reading skills. Imagine what these students would be capable if they were enrolled into school a year earlier.
Stephanie and Alyssa
EDC 102H Context Report
Community Description
Welcome to Pawtucket, Rhode Island!
Population: Pawtucket has a relatively high population of Spanish-speakers or non-English speakers, which translates to a relatively high population of ESL students within the school district. In Pawtucket, 25.9% of the population (5+) has disabilities. This is slightly higher than that of Rhode Island’s disabled population of 20.2%. (ProvPlan, 2010) Similarly, the population in Pawtucket that speaks Spanish inside the home is slightly higher than that of Rhode Island’s (15.1% and 10.3%, respectively). However, the population in Pawtucket that speaks English not well or not at all (8.7%) is almost double that of Rhode Island’s (4.8%), which is very significant. Also, in Pawtucket, 61.9% of the population speaks only English in the home. This is significantly lower than the English speaking population of Rhode Island (79.2%). (ProvPlan, 2010) These statistics give us a better understanding of the language barrier challenges faced within the school systems in Pawtucket as a reflection of the city’s population.
Poverty: It is a fact that poverty is often concentrated in cities. Indeed, Pawtucket is a reflection of that. Between 2007 and 2011, almost two-thirds (65%) of Rhode Island's children living in poverty lived in just four cities. These cities, termed core cities, include Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket, all communities where more than one in four (25%) children live below the poverty threshold. In Pawtucket, 29.4% live in poverty, which is significantly higher than the poverty percentage of Rhode Island (17.9%). Fortunately, the percentage of people living in extreme poverty in Pawtucket is only slightly higher than that of Rhode Island (11.5% and 8.1%, respectively). However, the percentage of children under 6 that are living in poverty in Pawtucket (33.2%) is significantly higher than that of Rhode Island (20.6%). In 2012, the percentage of children in families receiving cash assistance was about the same as the state percentage (5% and 6%, respectively). There was a higher percentage of those who are eligible enrolled in WIC in Pawtucket than in Rhode Island (73% and 69%, respectively). However, there was a lower percentage of low-income children participating in school breakfast in Pawtucket (24%) than in Rhode Island (35%). In Pawtucket, 4% of infants are born at the highest risk. This runs true to the 3% of the highest risk infants born in Rhode Island. In Pawtucket, the median family income ($38,471) is almost half that of the median family income of Rhode Island ($68,507). In fact, Pawtucket has the third lowest median family income in the state of Rhode Island. (RI Kids Count, 2011) These are extremely telling statistics. It is clear that Pawtucket is a poverty-stricken city.
Living Situation: Although there are high poverty levels in Pawtucket, the living situations are relatively stable. In Pawtucket, 43% of children are living in single-family homes, which is significantly higher than the 35% of Rhode Island. Similarly to the state (6%), 7% of children in Pawtucket are living with grandparents. The cost of rent in Pawtucket ($1,026) is about the same as that of Rhode Island ($1,176). (RI Kids Count, 2012) These numbers show stability. In the 2011-2012 school year, 32 out of the 8,769 children enrolled in public schools were homeless. In 2010, out of the 16,575 children who were under 8 years old in Pawtucket, 70 of them were sheltered homeless, meaning they lived in homeless or domestic violence shelters. Of the 961 homeless children in the state of Rhode Island in the 2011-2012 school year, one third of them (315 children) were in the four core cities. Of the 1,277 sheltered homeless children in 2010, more than half (727 children) were in the four core cities. These two statistics give us a better idea of the type of challenges a city like Pawtucket faces. (RI Kids Count, 2012)
Health: In Pawtucket, births to mothers with less than a High School diploma from 2007-2011 was 20%, compared to 16% for the state. The percentage of women with delayed prenatal care was 17.7%, while the state was at 15%. The teen birth rate in Pawtucket (per 1,000 girls ages 15-19) was 49.2, nearly double the rate for the state, 25.5. This means that females are becoming mothers at younger age, probably before they've graduated from High School, and prenatal care for women in Pawtucket isn't as readily accessible as prenatal care for women in the rest of the state. (“Profile of Pawtucket, RI,” n.d.)
The percent of infants in Pawtucket born with a low birthweight was 8.6% from 2007-2011, which is higher than the percent for the state during that time period, 7.9%. The infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births was 7.3, compared to 6.5 for the state. Also, the percent of infants exclusively breastfed in Pawtucket is 53%, which is less than the percent for the state, 61%. (“Profile of Pawtucket, RI,” n.d.)
The asthma hospitalization rate per 1,000 children under age 18 is 2.6 for Pawtucket and 2.2 for Rhode Island. "Black and Hispanic children, as well as children of "other" ethnicities in Rhode Island, are more likely to have ever been diagnosed with asthma in their lifetime, compared to non-Hispanic White children" (“Children with Asthma,” n.d.). This may factor into why Pawtucket's asthma hospitalization rate is higher than the state's because much of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
Safety: As of 2012, 9,913 children under the age of 19 in Pawtucket were receiving medical assistance, which is about 1/10 of Rhode Island's 95,248 children under the age of 19 receiving medical assistance. The number of children abused and neglected (per 1,000 children) in 2012 was 21.2 in Pawtucket and 13.9 in the state. The percent of domestic violence incidents with children present was 29% for both Pawtucket and the state of Rhode Island. The rate of children with incarcerated parents (per 1,000 children) was 15.3 and 11.0 in Pawtucket and Rhode Island, respectively. (“Profile of Pawtucket, RI,” n.d.)
Community Report on Cumberland, Rhode Island 02864 By: Samantha Casler and Ariana Grande
Introduction: Located in the northeastern most part of Rhode Island lays the town of Cumberland. Occupying about twenty-eight square miles, this piece of Providence County is home to people of all ages and nationalities. In 2010, the census found that the population of Cumberland was roughly thirty three thousand four hundred.
Children with Special Needs In today’s society, more and more children are being diagnosed with special needs. This is no different for the children of Cumberland, Rhode Island. It is important for schools to offer services to the children who have a chronic disease or disability. These disabilities can be physical, emotional, behavioral or developmental. In the United States, about 15% of children have at least one special healthcare need. This statistic is similar to that of Rhode Island, which is at 17%. Families with children with special needs may have financial burdens, and require special equipment and technology in order to meet the child’s needs. While programs that help children with special needs with everyday life may be offered in schools, families often are not given these resources. They must change their lifestyles to fit with the child’s disability. In 2012, the number of students enrolled in special education classes was the same as that of the state. They both stood at eighteen percent. The majority of these students needed these services due to a learning disability.
Minorities People of different racial groups have different effects on society. When it comes to poverty, different racial groups account for different amounts of poverty. From 2009-2011, the majority of poor children in Rhode Island were white children; this makes up forty nine percent of the population. Twenty one percent of children living in property are made up of some other race. Following this, are black children who make up sixteen percent of children living in poverty. Asian children make up four percent and Native Americans make up one percent. Of the children in poverty, thirty six percent consist of children ages five and younger. Thirty one percent consist of children age’s six to eleven. The children minorities of Cumberland are similar to those of the state. These children are put into these situations mostly due to their family situations. It is not something that they have any say in. These children have to live with the fact that they were born as minorities. They have to rise above this fact and the possibility of poverty in order to do well in school.
Home Life A child’s home life situation can impact their success in school. In the state of Rhode Island there were over two hundred thousand children living with one or more parents. Between the same time periods, of 2009 to 2011, almost seventy thousand lived with an unmarried parent. Children in single parent homes are often more likely to live in poverty. The reason for this is the lack of another person’s income. Students living in poverty often do worse in school. They are more likely to drop out of school and become teen parents due to their constant worry about their financial status. In Cumberland, there are many different scenarios in which children live. These include children living with non- relatives, grandparents, other relatives, married- couple families, and single- parent families. Of these, children living with married- couples are the majority in Cumberland. They make up seventy five percent of the population. Single- parent families are made up of almost fifteen hundred families. They make up the next largest percentage of children, accounting for nineteen percent. Children growing up in a home with both parents, have a larger support system than those who grow up in a single parent home. The home situation for children can alter the way they will be for the rest of their lives.
Poverty
Cumberland
Rhode Island
Median Family Income
$86,050
$70,663
Families Below the Poverty Line
196
17,508
Children Below the Poverty Line
340
37,925
In Cumberland, the median family income is $86,050. However, 196 families with children live below the poverty line, and 340 children live below the poverty line. In general, Rhode Island is home to 17,508 families with children who live below the poverty line. This comes out to about 13-14% of families in Rhode Island live in poverty. Overall, Cumberland’s median family income is higher than the general income for all of Rhode Island, with the median family income of Rhode Island being $70,663. This being said, Cumberland is a generally sound town in terms of money and family income. Because the median family income is above the median family income of the state, it can be assumed that Cumberland is mainly made up of comfortable middle class citizens.
Mother's Education
Cumberland
Rhode Island
Bachelor's Degree of More
55%
35%
Some College
15%
17%
High School Diploma
18%
26%
Less Than High School Diploma
5%
16%
Studies have shown that a mother's educations directly effects their child's education. Mother's who graduated from high school and went off the college, will mostly likely raise children who will graduate from high school, and go off to college. In Cumberland, 55% of mothers of children have at least a Bachelor’s degree or more. 15% of mothers ended their educational degree with just some college, 18% of mothers graduated with a high school diploma but did not go on to college, and only 5% dropped out of high school. In Rhode Island as a whole 35% went on to college and received a bachelor’s degree or higher, 17% went on to experience some college, 26% graduated high school, and 16% dropped out of high school.
Language
Cumberland
Rhode Island
Speak Only English at Home
84%
79%
Speak Only Spanish at Home
2.5%
10.3%
Speak Not Well/Or None At All
2.2%
4.8%
Language is not necessarily a barrier in Cumberland Rhode Island. With the majority of residents speaking only english at home, and as their first language, there is no barrier between people by language. In Cumberland, 84% of the population speak only English at home. 2.5% of the Cumberland population speak Spanish at home, and 2.2% speak English not well or not at all. In Rhode Island, 79% of the people speak only English at home, 10.3% speak Spanish at home, and 4.8% speak English not well or not at all. Overall, English is the primary language of residents who live in 02864.
INTRODUCTION:
Cumberland is located in the northeasternmost part of Rhode Island. It was incorporated and established in 1746. Cumberland consists of 26.8 square miles, and is a part of Providence County. The area is extremely rocky and rich in several minerals specifically Cumberlandite, the state rock of Rhode Island. HEALTH:
In Cumberland, the health of children is overall very good. The amount of children born has decreased by 9%, and only 1% have been born with at high risk. 25% of children in Cumberland are enrolled in the breakfast plan, which is a high amount considering 35% of children in Rhode Island are enrolled in this program. In 2010 the amount of children under the age of 18 was 7,535, and in 2012 only 1,577 occupants under the age of 19 are receiving medical assistance. In all of Rhode Island, 95,248 people under the age of 19 are receiving medical assistance.The amount of people participating in the WIC program in Cumberland is 61%, and in total 69% in Rhode Island, so Cumberland is the majority of that. The amount of women that had delayed prenatal care in Rhode Island is 15%, and in Cumberland 10.1% make up that percentage, which again is a majority of it.
Children under 19 receiving medical assistance
Cumberland
Rhode Island
1,577
95,248
DEMOGRAPHICS:
The white population of Cumberland is 31,102, and in Rhode Island itself the number is 856,869. Cumberland does not make up a big part of the total amount of Rhode Island, but in Cumberland this makes up 92.8% of the population. There are many different races and ethnicities in Cumberland, such as Asian, African American, and Hispanic. The amount of people who don't speak english, or don't speak it well is 4.8% of Rhode Island, and 2.2% of Cumberland. The percent of people that only speak English at home is 79.2% in all of Rhode Island, and 84.8% in Cumberland. The amount of civilians with disabilities in Cumberland is 18.1%, and in Rhode Island is 20.2%.
SAFETY:
The overall safety of Cumberland is very good. The amount of crime in Rhode Island is low in general, but Cumberland is extremely low. In 20120, the crime rate in Cumberland spiked up, but not to an extreme amount, and it is normal for the crime rates in Cumberland to increase and then decrease. This year, the most common type of crime was aggravated assault, but that number is extremely small. Other crime that occur in Cumberland include robbery, and murder but these numbers are very low compared to Rhode Island as a whole
Child abuse and neglect
(per 1000 children)
Cumberland
Rhode Island
10.7
13.9
Rate of children with incarcerated parents
(per 1000 children)
Cumberland
Rhode Island
3.2
11.0
SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND:
In 2010 the median family income in Cumberland was $86,05 but the median family income in the state was $70,663. this puts the median family income for Cumberland above that of the state. the percentage of people in RI with a bachelors degree is 21.5% but the percentage for the state is 30.3%. 68.7% of males are employed in Cumberland's opposed to the 65.1%of employed males in the state. (prov plan, “Rhode Island Community Profiles.”)
FAMILY AND FAMILIES:
There are 56.8% husband and wife households in Cumberland as opposed to 44.5% in RI. In Cumberland are 10.6% of households are divorced or separated but 12.5% are divorced or separated in the whole state of Rhode Island.In Cumberland 5.7% households are unmarried partner households although it is 7.6% for the whole state. 2.53 is the average household size for Cumberland and the state of RI. In Rhode Island 3.2% of households do not have a phone but in cumberland 3.7% do not have a phone.(prov plan, “Rhode Island Community Profiles.”)
ECONOMY:
In Rhode Island 122% of the population is below the poverty line but in Cumberland only 5% of the population is below the poverty line. the median income in Rhode island is 54,902 $ but in Cumberland the median household income is 72,830. in Cumberland 24.3% of the population are civilians who are receiving disability from there employer, in the state of Rhodes Island the percentage is only 39.4%. the percentage of people in RI with a bachelors degree is 21.5% but the percentage for the state is 30.3%(prov plan, “Rhode Island Community Profiles.”)
Above is a map of Rhode Island. North Kingstown is the dark red portion on the map; the remaining faded red colors are the towns in Washington County.
Overview: North Kingstown is a town in Rhode Island, United States; it’s part of Washington County in Rhode Island. Originally, the town was named Kings Towne and was founded in 1674, by the colonial government. Kings Towne included the present day towns of North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Exeter, and Narragansett. However in 1722, Kings Towne was split into two parts, North Kingstown and South Kingstown.
Geography: North Kingstown is located in Washington County which is in the southern half of Rhode Island near Narragansett. It is off of Route 138 and pretty close to University of Rhode Island. It is not directly on the coast, but it is about 10 miles from the water. It is about 60 square miles, 15 of which are made up of water from the various ponds.
Population: Population is a key indicator in educational success, especially whether or not the population speaks very well English. Many students who receive English as their second language face challenges that affect their educational setting such as poverty, low parental educational levels, racism, discrimination, and lack of access to health care. Within Rhode Island, there is a minority population of 248,882 people; within the people in the minority, 48,335 of them speak English as their second language. Within North Kingstown, the minority population is 1,832 people and only 128 of them do not speak English well or at all. In general, the majority of the North Kingstown population speak English within their home. Since the majority predominately speak English, these students have a better advantage of succeeding academically.
As of 2010…
Rhode Island
North Kingstown
Female Population
544,167
13,602
Male Population
508,400
12,884
Minority Population
248,882
1,832
Total Population
1,052,567
26,486
Population Spanish Spoken in Home
103,193
614
Speak English Not Well/ Not At All
48,335
128
Speak Only English in Home
790,382
23,621
Family Income/ Poverty: Family income and poverty plays a very large role in a student's successfulness in school; children in poverty have a much more difficult time in school than those who do not live in poverty. In North Kingstown, the median family income is $93,844 and the median household income is $76,316 as of 2010. The median family income is comprised of a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption and are residing together while the median household income is comprised of one or more people living together (they do not need to be related). The numbers shown in the table about North Kingstown are much higher than Rhode Island overall. In the overview of Rhode Island, the median family income is $70,663 and the median household income is $54,902. Therefore, North Kingstown is above average compared to Rhode Island as a whole.
As of 2010…
Rhode Island
North Kingstown
Median Family Income
$70,663
$93,844
Median Household Income
$54,902
$76,316
Persons Below Poverty Level
123,396
1,460
Population Under 18
247,822
6,322
Population 16-19 Employed & In School
20,501
538
Disabilities: A person can have special needs that are physical, emotional, developmental, or behavioral. Disabilities is another factor that plays into a child's successfulness in an educational setting. Whatever kind of special need a child has affects the type of teaching they need in the classroom in order to flourish. In Rhode Island, 195,806 people have disabilities and of those 195,806 people, 3,539 live in North Kingstown as of 2000. According to Rhode Island Kids Count, 18% of students are enrolled in a special needs program in the state of Rhode Island. In North Kingstown, 13% of students are enrolled in a special needs program. In other words, North Kingstown has 5% less students with special needs than the entire state itself.
As of 2000…
Rhode Island
North Kingstown
Civilians with Employment Disabilities
84,727
1,308
Population with Disabilities
195,806
3,539
Safety
There are many different levels of safety that come into play including abuse or neglect by parents or other family members, domestic violence in the presence of children, incarcerated parents, as well as the surrounding neighborhoods. Safety is a key factor that plays a role in the level of success that a student has in school. As of 2012, the average number of victims of child abuse and neglect per 1,000 children in North Kingstown is 6.6, compared to 13.9 in Rhode Island as a whole. This number is just under half of that in the entire state, which is significantly lower. The rate of children with incarcerated parents per 1,000 is also at 6.6, but out of 11.0 total in Rhode Island. This number is also much lower in North Kingstown that in the whole state. 31% of domestic violence incidents occur with children present in North Kingstown compared to only 29% in the whole state. North Kingstown's rate is higher than it is in all of Rhode island, but not much much. A neighborhood can be classified safe or unsafe based on the crime level in the area and the town in general. Kingston Hill Academy is located in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
Category
Year
North Kingstown
Rhode Island
Child abuse and neglect victims (per 1,000 children)
2012
6.6
13.9
Rate of children with incarcerated parents (per 1,000 children)
2012
6.6
11.0
Domestic violence incidents with children present
2011
31%
29%
Health
Health is not only crucial because of how it can affect their lives or the lives of their children, but it health also is a main factor in absences at school.
Health impacts the success of a child a lot. Children can be born unhealthy, or into an unhealthy lifestyle, and that will impact their success in school if they are unable to get the help they need. As of 2012, the amount of birth mothers in North Kingstown who received less than a high school diploma is at 5%, compared to 16% in all of Rhode Island. Women with delayed prenatal care is at a rate of 10.6%, which is relatively high, but looks good compared to the entire states 15%. Infants born with low birthweight is at a rate of 5.2% in North Kingston, and 7.9% in Rhode Island. All of these numbers are much lower in North Kingstown than they are in the whole state. Asthma hospitalization rate for children under 18 is 1.3 per 1,000 and Rhode Island is at 2.2 Teen birth rate, which is determined by 1,000 girls between the ages 15 and 19, is 11.3 in North Kingstown and 25.5 in Rhode Island as a whole. Of all newborn infants in Rhode Island, 61% of them are exclusively breastfed, while 72% in North Kingstown of them are. However, infant mortality rate is at 8.4 per 1,000 live births in North Kingstown compared to 6.5 in the entire state. This level is a bit higher in the entire town than the state.
Category
Year
North Kingstown
Rhode Island
Children Under 19 receiving medical attention (2012)
2012
1,317
95,284
Birth mothers with less than high school diploma
2003-2007
5%
16%
Women with delayed prenatal care
2003-2007
10.6%
15%
Infants born with low birthweight
2003-2007
5.2%
7.9%
Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)
2003-2007
8.4
6.5
Asthma hospitalization rate (per 1,000 children under age 18)
Introduction
South Kingstown is not unlike other picturesque New England towns. It has plenty of ocean, substantial town infrastructure, and historic villages to name a few of its attractions. However, no town is completely understood without looking at what goes on behind the idealistic photos displayed on their visitors brochure. The following report is a compilation of the towns geography, health, safety, families, socioeconomic status, and demographics to better understand the community in which students are growing up.
Geographic Snap Shot
A snap shot of South Kingstown via. google maps.
South Kingstown is situated in the lower right hand corner of Rhode Island. It contains many coast communities and ponds. Prominent towns in South Kingstown include Wakefield, East Matunuck and Peace Dale. The available Affordable Housing plan offered on South Kingstown's website is from 2005 and shows a concentrated area in Peace Dale with low-income housing.
From the data reported on Rhode Island Kids Count the majority of children under the age of 18 in South Kingstown are not using RI Health Care. For South Kingstown, about 1/7 are receiving RI care, meaning the rest have access to a private plan or are not receiving any healthcare. Compared to Central Falls, which is economically unstable, approximately 4/5 of the children there are utilizing RI Health Care. Similarly, only 9% of the women in South Kingstown had delayed prenatal care, in Central Falls 20% of women had delayed prenatal care. The likelihood of women receiving prenatal care in South Kingstown is good, affecting the amount of pre-term births. In South Kingstown only 9.2% of births were reported as pre-term, Central Falls reported 11.2% of births as pre-term. The comparisons above depict South Kingstown as having high quality health care for their children.
Rhode Island Kids Count also showed South Kingstown (SK) to be a fairly safe environment. Being a suburban area the crime rate for SK is reported as fairly low. According to Kids Count, 6.5 out of 1,000 children face neglect or abuse where Central Falls had 20.2 out of 1,000. There were 21 incidences of violent crime offenses in SK compared to Central Falls with 101 incidences. The suburban setting of South Kingstown appears to provide a safe environment. Surprisingly, 36% of children in South Kingstown were present during incidents of domestic violence, a statistic which is 7% higher than the state average. Although South Kingstown seems fairly safe, the high incidences of domestic violence suggests a family turmoil as an area of concern.
Most children in South Kingstown live in a fairly average family. 20% of the children living in South Kingstown are in single parent households which is 11% less than the state average. The family unit in SK seems, for the most part, to contain demographics similar to other Rhode Island towns. Children in SK living with their grandparents constitutes only 5% which is one percent less than the state average. Most of the children in SK are also living with educated mothers, 61% of mothers have graduated with a bachelors degree or above. This is very high compared to Central Falls with 7% of mothers graduation with above a bachelors degree and the state average of 35%. Having a high rate of literate mothers means children are being exposed to a broader vocabulary at an earlier age which can help in their performance in school.
When comparing South Kingston to the rest of Rhode Island, the data is very different. South Kingston has a significantly higher median income. South Kingston is $101,857, whereas Rhode Island is $68,507. Also, the percentage of children living in families below the federal poverty threshold is 5.7% in South Kingston and 17.9% in Rhode Island. (Rhode Island Kids Count, 2013)
% Households with Cars
% Families with Children living below poverty line
% Families with 2+ workers
% Occupied Housing Units with 2+ Vehicles
Median Income
Rhode Island
89%
19.3%
57%
54.9%
$68,507
South Kingston
95.4%
8.1%
64%
63%
$101,857
North Kingston
96.4%
5.5%
62.3%
67.1%
$104,539
Narragansett
97.1%
4.3%
53.3%
66.3%
$95,208
Richmond
97.1%
4.1%
73.2%
81.7%
$101,420
Charlestown
98.1%
0.8%
66.3%
73.1%
$74,853
(ProvPlan, 2013) However, it is difficult to get a reliable comparison when comparing the Rhode Island as a whole because there are many areas that would greatly skew the data. Therefore, I looked at a few of the neighboring towns, including Narragansett, North Kingston, Richmond, and Charlestown. From the chart above it is clear to see the towns surrounding South Kingston are at similar, and, in some cases, higher, economic standings. This makes it easier to compare because it shows that there must be many places way below the Rhode Island average that bring down the data of the state.
Demographics
Hispanic
American Indian
Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Black
White
2.8%
1.2%
2.7%
2.2%
90.8%
The majority of the population of South Kingston is white, 90.8%, with the other 9.2% a relatively even distribution of Hispanic, American Indian (specifically the Narragansett Indian Tribe can describe the unusual percentage of N.Americans), Asian, and Black. Furthermore, in Rhode Island 79.2% of people speak only English in their homes, whereas in South Kingston 93% of people only speak English. Additionally, demographics goes beyond race and could be looked at by age and sex. Therefore, in RI 64.3% of the population is between ages 18-64 and 15.8% of the population is ages 5-17. In South Kingston 68.6% of the population is between the ages of 18-64, and 13.9% of the population is between the ages of 5-17. For age, there is no significant difference between the spread of age for South Kingston and Rhode Island. As for sex, in Rhode Island for the population of people between the ages of 18-64, since this is the largest amount of people, there are 51% females and 49% males. In South Kingston males ages 18-64 make up 47.4% of the population of people between the ages of 18-64, and females make up 52.6%. Similar to age, there is no significant difference between the ratio of gender in the population. (ProvPlan, 2013)
Conclusion
This information is significant when looking at schools in the area because it is important to know information from the location of the school and surrounding areas in order to get a better understanding of the school itself. By looking at the data from South Kingstown and it's surrounding areas, one can conclude that South Kingstown seems to be economically, academically, and criminally better than the average found in Rhode Island.
The city of Providence is the capital of Rhode Island. However, it can be seen as completely different compared to many other districts that are also in the state of RI. Half of Providence is minorities, which some might say contributes to the high poverty level. On average, less people own homes and vehicles in Providence compared to RI, but this can also relate to the public transportation percent being higher as well. Residents of Providence earn less money, have less quality-health and is considered less safe for the children living there compared to RI as a whole. Even though there are some wealthy areas in Providence, Rhode Island overall is superior in most aspects.
Demographics:
It can easily be seen through Providence’s demographics that this area houses a significant amount of Rhode Island’s minority population. Of the recorded 178,042 people located in Providence, 111,132 are minority (62%). Whereas compared to Rhode Island as a whole, only 24% of its residents are minority. Providence hosts 32.8% Hispanic and over the age of 18 and Rhode Island only holds 10.2%. The Hispanic community is not the only minority that outnumbers most in Providence. The black community in Providence (16%) is slightly higher than Rhode Island (6%) as well. Both Rhode Island and Providence have only 1% of an Asian population. Reported by ProvPlan (a census), Providence has 30% of families with children that are in poverty while being compared to Rhode Island who has 14%. So it is clear that Providence is more in poverty although 86% and 88% of females and males respectively are employed.
Housing:
Housing in Providence compared to Rhode Island overall differs in many way but at the same time has many resembling aspects such as people per household or how many houses there are. The average household in Providence houses 2.66 and Rhode Island houses 2.44 people, very similar numbers. Providence has fewer households in general but they have 5% more households than Rhode Island that hold 6 or more people residing in them. As previously mentioned in demographics, Providence is known more for their minorities. 16% of householders are black in Providence (5% in Rhode Island) and 31% are identified as Hispanic (9% in Rhode Island). Providence also houses less husband and wife households than Rhode Island overall (29% to 45%, respectively). Throughout Rhode Island, not only couples can be found, but elderly couples as well. Rhode Island provides homes to a lot of the elderly, both homeowners and renters (26% and 19%, respectively). Providence elders, age 65 and over own and rent slightly less than Rhode Island as a whole, but not significantly less than (23% and 12% respectively).
Transportation:
Finding transportation is crucial to relocating to various landmarks throughout Rhode Island. 77% of households in Providence have a car; 89% of households in Rhode Island have a car. So evidently people in Providence need to be more ‘transportation savvy’ and they are. More people in Providence (14%) carpool and drive alone (63%) to work whereas only 9% carpool and 81% drive alone to work within the state of Rhode Island. Providence residents use public transportation 5% more than Rhode Island as a whole too.
Economy:
Compared to the entire state of RI, Providence is substantially lower in economic status. When it comes to the median household income, a Providence household makes about $36,925, while the state average is about $54,902. The same goes for the median earnings for both males and females in Providence. The average male in RI earns $37,258, while the average Providence male resident only earns $25,143. That’s $12,115 less which is an imperative amount of money. Females in Providence earn $8,375 less than the average female earning in RI, which is not as drastic as males however still an amount that could be influential to a Providence household. Another statistic of Providence that shows their reduced economic status are their persons below poverty level. Throughout the state of RI, 12.2% of the people account for being below poverty level, while Providence’s residents account for 26.3%, a major difference. Overall, Providence is noticeably below the economic averages throughout the state of RI.
Health:
Providence is not as inclined to healthcare as many other areas of RI. Since their average households make a significant less amount of money than the average RI household, their health factors take the hit. Problems with health start all the way back to birth. In Providence, 22.10% of women have delayed prenatal care, while RI as a whole only has 14.90%. Delayed prenatal care can be the cause of children with disabilities, so the last statistic is directly correlated to the populations who actually have disabilities. 23.1% of the population of Providence has disabilities while RI as a whole only has 20.2%. Providence also has a higher percentage of infants born with low birth weight and the amount of asthma hospitalizations than the state of RI. This information shows that RI has better-quality health overall than the city of Providence.
Safety:
Rhode Island’s public safety is much better than the city of Providence. For every 1000 children, 21.7 of them have an incarcerated parent, while RI’s rate is only 10.4. On the same scale, the average of 19.1 children are abused and neglected as victims. RI is at 13.3 children for child abuse victims. When it comes to domestic violence incidents with children, Providence is at 33% while Rhode Island is at 28%. These statistics show that the state of RI as a whole is much safer than Providence, especially for children.
Conclusion:
Overall, it can be said Providence is ran by minorities. More minorities live in homes in Providence than compared to Rhode Island as a whole. Providence is also known to house more people to one house; even though there are less homes there than when compared to Rhode Island, they are less spacious for the residents. It is also easily identifiable that public transportation is used more often throughout this city. This is necessary considering less people do not own their own vehicles due to their low salaries. Most men within Providence make more money than females but females also earn a significant less on average than those averaged in Rhode Island. The low salaries in Providence can lead to the explanation of why this city has a 26.3% poverty rate. Low salaries usually entail no health benefits either which impact families from the beginning with simple viruses turning into permanent damage or babies developing avoidable defects during pregnancy. Issues such as no health insurance of lack of economic stability lead to frustration and desperate measures. Actions that would relate would be child abuse or taking part in crimes to assist the well being of the family and self for the future. With this, Providence is rated much lower in the safety department than Rhode Island as a whole.
Providence is the most populated city in Rhode Island. It is located in Providence county, the third largest city in New England.
In 2010 the city proved to be densely populated with a total population of 178,042 people in 71,530 housing units. (Bureau, “American FactFinder - Community Facts.”) This city is located at above the Narragansett Bay and the Providence river runs through the center of the city. There are a total of 25 neighborhoods in the city of Providence. This urban area is geographically compact with irregular city scape. The population has a great amount of diversity with large populations of Hispanics, Caucasians, and African Americans.
Economics
Students living in Providence have a greater chance of living in economic hardship than in other parts of Rhode Island. There is a higher concentration of students in poverty in Providence than elsewhere. They are living in more single parent family homes than elsewhere in Rhode Island. (RI Kids count). As a result, the median family income in providence is less than that of an average family in other parts of the state, with Providence incomes at $34,877 in 2010 while the average was $68,507. (RI kids count). In Rhode Island, the percentage of children living in families below the federal poverty threshold is 17.9%, but due to the low family income, 37.3% of children live in poverty in Providence. (RI kids count). More children living in Providence receive government assistance whether its cash assistance, SNAP, WIC or the school breakfast program. These programs mostly focus on getting students the proper nutrition that they need, as more children in Providence need government assistance with basic needs such as food.
Family Structure
According to Rhode Island Kids count, there are a wide variety of living situations for children in the city of Providence. Out of the 178,042 residence in Providence, 41, 634 of these residents are minors. As of 2010, there were 16,931 children who lived with married couples. The total number of children who live with non-relatives is 632 and 1,663 live with non-parents relatives. The amount of mothers who have a bachelors degree or higher in providence is lower than the rest of the state. Twenty one percent of the mothers in providence have bachelors degrees or higher, while 35% of mothers in Rhode Island have the same. In Providence, 30% of mothers have a high school diploma and 29% have less than a high school diploma. In the state of Rhode Island there is a lower percentage of mothers with a high school diploma (26%), and 16% have less than a high school diploma. The mother's level of education has a direct impact on their children. Mother's with a high level of education will most likely have higher paying jobs to support their child. They will also be more educated and therefore will be able to introduce their children to more vocabulary, increasing literacy skills. The number of kids over the age of 16 working has increased from 76, 833 in the year 2000 to 89,381 ten years later (Prov Plan). This shows that more people at a young age need to support themselves or their family than before. That kind of work can lead to more students slacking in their school work or even dropping out of school. The majority of people that live in Providence are multiracial, making it a very diverse place to live (Prov Plan). For the large amount of households, around 18,000 are made up of families that have married parents. That number has gone down from 2000 by around 3000 families (ProvPlan).
Health
From the years 2008 to 2012, the number of children in Providence who have receive medical assistance has increased from 29,440 to 31,957. In the state of providence, the percentage of infants born to mothers with less than a high school diploma is about 30% in Providence, while the rate is half as many in the rest of Rhode Island. Mothers with less than a high school diploma will have a more difficult time providing for their children. Prenatal care has a large impact on successful child development. In Providence 21% of woman receive late prenatal care, compared to 15% of mothers in the rest of state. This means that mothers in the rest of state receive prenatal care earlier and are more likely to have children develop regularly. The hospitalization of per 1,000 children with asthma in Providence was 3.9 in 2012 and 2.2 for the rest of the state. Overall, Providence is slightly behind the rest of the state in their quality of health.
Academics
In comparison to the rest of Rhode Island, Providence is slightly less ahead in their test scores. It's population is much more diverse than the rest of the state and is home to many more English. Providence has a higher crime rate and is less economically affluent than the rest of the state. The quality of education in providence is slightly lower than the rest of Rhode Island. The test scores indicated that the proficiency levels are much lower in comparison to the rest of Rhode Island. In regards to math, 11% are above are at grade level by 11th grade in providence, while 27% are above on on grade level in the rest of the state. A similar gap exists in 8th grade and 4th grade. This suggests that little is done to improve math performance in providence. In regards to reading level, providence children are about 20% less proficient in reading than in the rest of the state. At the high school level, 85% of students attend while 91% attend in the rest of the state.
It is believed that often the absence of early intervention is was contributes to the gaps in test scores. However, in both the state Rhode Island and Providence about 10% of children receive early intervention. About 1/3 of the Headstart centers in Rhode Island are located in Providence. Also 100% of children in Providence are in full day Kindergarten compared to only 50% of Rhode Island students. In the state of Rhode Island, about 5% of students are English learners. However, Providence has increased to 20% English learners by the year 2012. The higher population English learners has most impacted these proficiency levels.
Housing
Providence is home to many different types of families and people. There are approximately 25,000 students living in Providence in dorms for one of the various colleges (Prov Plan). That number increased slightly from 2000 to 2010 but not by much. The vast majority of people that live in Providence live in family households. Over 259,000 family households are in Providence, which is over half of the households (Prov Plan). However, that number decreased by around 5,000 from the year 2000 to 2010.
The majority of the householders are white/ non-Hispanic, with over 339,000 households. That number decreased from 2000 to 2010. A possible reason for the decrease is the increase in other households. Hispanic households have increased from 25,110 to 36,654 and black households have also increased from 15,922 to 20,488. (Prov Plan) The number of households with an American Indian householder, Asian householder and a householder that identifies as more than one race have also increased. (Prov Plan)
School Description
Paul Cuffee School Charter School Rhode Island
History
The Paul Cuffee School, located in Providence Rhode Island opened its doors in September 2001. It initially began with four grades (K-3). Fourth and fifth grade students started in 2002 and 2003 as the younger students advanced and new students at the joined the younger grade levels. By the 205-For the 2005-2006 scholastic year, there were students enrolled in grades K-7. In November of 2005, a middle school was opened in a near by location, enabling students 6-8 to attend.
ride.ri.gov Organization
The school is governed by a Board of Trustees. The 24 members of this board are appointed by the Sailing Institutes. The Board is made up of teachers, parents, and different community members and agencies. Meetings are held once a month. In the past year there as been a Strategic Planning Committee added and an Education committee. Students in the Paul Cuffee school are admitted through a lottery system. The class size is relatively small with no more than 16 students to a teacher. Teacher's assistants are available, and focus on individualized instruction.
Family Involvement
The Paul Cuffee School has two part time Family Coordinators to aid in family engagement. One of the two Family Coordinators is bilingual. This individual works with the family outreach and has organized events such a clothing drives, translation equipment, and school dinners. There is a classroom space for the Family Center, that has hours in which parents can drop in. In this space the social worker and the Wellness Director discusses important topics. Parents of students with special needs can be involved in the Parent Coordinators group which meets three times a year. The Paul Cuffee School has an active PTA/PTO group that organized various activities.
Student Support Services
At the Paul Cuffee School 59 of the 386 students, have special needs. At the elementary school level and middle school level
Each student has an academic folder, however those with an IEP also have a special education folder. There is ongoing communication between resource teachers and classroom teachers. Elementary School students have both after school tutoring and a resource teacher. Counseling at the elementary school level works on behavioral improvement. If a child is overwhelmed they can go to the Recovery Center (social workers office) before reentering the classroom. Counseling can be done on a one-on-one level or a group setting. As a partner with the providence center, families can receive help if faced with crisis.
At the middle level, counseling is done one-on-one and in gender specific groups. Meditation counseling and individual counseling is available for students with interpersonal problems. Each classroom has a focus area, in which students can calm down before rejoining the class. If ineffective, the student can go to the planning room in which they will write down their difficulties to be reviewed by a social worker.
Providence is the capital and largest city of Rhode Island. Not only is it large, it is also very densely populated with a total population of 178,042 people in 71,530 housing units as of 2010 (Bureau, “American FactFinder - Community Facts.”). Providence is 18.40 square miles with 9,676.2 people per square mile (Census Bureau, “Providence (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau.”). Providence is also very industrial compared to the rest of the state. In Providence alone there are 15,395 companies (Bureau, “American FactFinder - Community Facts.”)
Basic Demographics
Population Over 18
(as of 2010)
Percent
Number of People
Total Population
Rhode Island
78.2%
826,217
1,052,567
Providence
76.1%
135,708
178,042
Since 2010, a little over 1/6 of Rhode Island's population lives exclusively in Providence. Of that same population, living in Providence is a little under 1/6 of the Rhode Island population who are 18 years or younger.
Population Who Cannot Speak English Well Or At All
(as of 2010)
Percent
Number of Population
Total Population
Rhode Island
4.8%
48,335
1,052,567
Providence
14.9%
24,759
178,042
Knowing that Providence holds over 1/6 of Rhode Island's population, 14.9% of Providence's population are not fluent in English. Providence contains over half of the amount of people who cannot speak fluent English in the entire state.
Population With Disabilities Age 5+
(as of 2000)
Percent
Number of Population
Total Population
Rhode Island
20.2%
195,886
1,052,567
Providence
23.1%
36,926
178,042
Almost 1/5 of the people who have disabilities in Rhode Island, older than the age of five, live within Providence.
Income/Poverty Level
Median Income Per Year
(as of 2010)
Female
Male
Family
Household
American Indian Household
Asian Household
Black Household
Hispanic Household
Non-Hispanic White Household
Other Household
Rhode Island
$25,607
$37,258
$20,663
$54,902
$31,455
$53,357
$34,699
$33,679
$60,051
$31,155
Providence
$17,232
$25,143
$41,906
$36,925
$30,790
$38,427
$32,386
$29,568
$46,705
$28,507
The median female income in Rhode Island is $7,000 greater than in Providence whereas the median male income is $12,000 more. The average family income in Providence is $21,000 more, probably due to family members needing those who are older than 18 to stay and help out with family finances. The overall median household income is $18,000 more than what it is in Providence, which connects directly with the female and male incomes. American Indian, Black, Hispanic, and other households are roughly the same in the Providence compared to the rest of the state, not ranging much more than a few thousand dollar differences. However, there is a significant difference in Asian and Non-Hispanic White households with a $15,000 and a $14,000 difference respectively.
People Under 200% of Poverty
(as of 2010)
Percent
Number of Population
Total Population
Rhode Island
20.1%
285,366
1,052,567
Providence
52.1%
84,926
178,042
Half of Providence's population is living under 200% of poverty and makes up nearly 1/3 of Rhode Island's population under the 200% poverty line.
Per Capita Income
(as of 2010)
In dollars
Rhode Island
28,707
Providence
20,735
Providence's average per capita income is $8,000 less than the state's average.
Public Assistance Households
(as of 2010)
Number of Households
Rhode Island
11,562
Providence
3,868
Providence alone makes up almost 1/3 of the entire state's public assistance households.
Ethnicity/Race
Percentage in parentheses next to population number is what percentage of the population is that ethnicity
(as of 2010)
American Indian
% since 2000
Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
% Since 2000
Black
% Since 2000
Hispanic
% Since 2000
White
% Since 2000
Rhode Island
6,058 (.6%)
+ .1%
31,011 (3%)
+ .7%
60,189 (5.7%)
+ .6%
130,655 (12.4%)
+ 3.7%
856,869 (81.4%)
- 3.6%
Providence
2,412 (1.4%)
+ .3%
11,602 (6.5%)
+ .3%
28,557 (16%)
+ 1.5%
67,835 (38.1%)
+ 8.1%
88,623 (49.8%)
- 4.7%
Providence, compared with the Rhode Island, contains over 1/3 of the American Indian population and Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander population. Almost half of the Black population lives in Providence along with over half of the Hispanic population of Rhode Island, whereas the only 1/10 of the White population lives in Providence.
Families
Providence is the capital of Rhode Island and, as such, has a large and dense population. In providence alone there are 178,042 people as of 2010. Between 2000 and 2010 there was a 2.5% population increase from 173,618 to 178,042. Of that population 41,634 people are under the age of 18. Children’s living arrangements as of 2010 vary. There were 41,497 children living in a household in Providence compared to 223,144 total in Rhode Island. 16,931 children lived in married couple families in Providence while 133,057 children did in all of Rhode Island. In contrast, 19,136 Providence children live in single parent families while 68,138 children total in Rhode Island do. In Providence 632 children live with non-relatives and 1,663 live with other relatives. In Rhode Island 3,468 children live with non-relatives and 4,398 live with other relatives. The education levels of mothers also varies in Providence compared to the rest of Rhode Island. 21% of Providence mothers have a bachelor’s degree or higher. 35% of all mothers in Rhode Island have the same education. About 30% of mothers on Providence have a high school diploma and 29% of mothers have less than a high school diploma. Out of all of Rhode Island 26% have high school diplomas and 16% have less than a high school diploma.
(Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, “Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators.”)
Health
The children of providence are nowhere near the most healthy. In Providence there are a total of 31,957 children under 19 receiving medical assistance as of December 31, 2012. In 2011-2012 28% of children in Providence were using alcohol. 31% of children had used or were using marijuana. Then only 6% of children used cigarettes. Teen pregnancy was high during the time period from 2007-2011. There was 1,938 births to Providence girls between the ages of 15-19. During that same time period there were 13,970 births in Providence out of the total number of 57,929 in Rhode Island. Of those there were 1,270 low birth weights in providence alone. Then there were 122 infant deaths in Providence and 376 in all of Rhode Island. (Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, “Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators.”)
Safety
Providence is not the safest places in Rhode Island. In 2008 child abuse and neglect indicated victims equaled around 14,400. That number rose to 20,100 in 2012. On a brighter note the number of children with incarcerated parents decreased from 26.2 to 22.1 between 2008 and 2012 per 1000 children. Domestic violence with children present rose from 32% in 2008 to 33% in 2011. In high schools only 6% of teens brought a weapon to school in 2012. Also 10% of teens were involved in a physical fight in 2012. (Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, “Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators.”)
Community Descriptions for Cumberland RI and Lincoln RI
Cumberland RI
Lincoln RI
Introduction:
The Purpose of this report is to give a description of what the community is like in Lincoln RI and Cumberland RI. Both of these county's are directly next to each other a the top right corner of the state of Rhode Island. Topics that will be discussed in regards to both districts are: health, safety, family, and economic well being.
Lincoln Rhode Island
Geography
The total population of Lincoln is about 22, 049 (as of 2009). It is 18.2 square miles and is elevated 60 ft. (“Lincoln, Rhode Island)
Based on the image above Lincoln seems to have a very suburban setting.
Health and Safety When it comes to the health and safety of Lincoln, it seems like it may not be the best location. In Lincoln, there are 4,751 kids under the age of 18, 47 of which are victims of child abuse and neglect. The state contains a total of 223,956 children under 18 with 3,117 of those kids suffering from neglect. Compared to this Lincoln has a relatively small number, which is a good thing. Though, looking at the state as a whole it also has a relatively small number which is a good thing.Where things are not going as well is that 35% of children in Lincoln are present for domestic violence, which exceeds the states 29% by a good 6%. It may not seem like a huge difference, but it is a significant one. School violence is also an issue, 6% of students brought a weapon to school and 11% got into a physical fight at the school. These exceed the state averages with 5% bringing weapons to school and 10% fighting in schools. This raises questions as to why these kids feel like they need to bring weapons to perhaps protect themselves in an environment that is supposed to be safe. In Lincoln RI of the 902 births, 100 receive delayed prenatal care. Compared to the states 57,929 births 8,661 receive delayed prenatal care. Based on that data Lincoln's children are relatively well cared for. (“Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data)
Family Family in Lincoln is relatively stable with a majority of children living in a married couple home. According to the data on kids count between 2007 and 2011 6% if births in Lincoln were to a mother with less than a high school diploma with 16% in the state. Thankfully this is is a relatively small number in a span of about 5 years. In Lincoln there are a total population of 4,751 kids under the age of 18 (2013) lower than the population in 2000 which was 5,157, which is a -7.9% change. This is an interesting development. The cause of which may be kids were unsafe in school or maybe families could not afford the cost of living in the community and moved away. In Lincoln there are 4,743 living in a home with 3,270 living in married couple homes, 1,146 living in single parent homes. While the majority are in a married couple home, the number of children living in single parent homes. 211, which is a rather small number of children live with their grandparents A large majority of the child population is white, 3,885. 353 children are Hispanic or Latino and 114 are black. The next largest diversity groups are Asians with 164 children, 7 american Indian/Alaskan native, and 22 are some other race. This is not the most ethnically diverse community with a huge majority being white. 6.5% of children live under the poverty level in Lincoln RI, compared to the 16.9% average of the state. Compared to the state Lincoln's children are doing relatively well. The median family income is $87,023 compared to the states $68,243. Based on the data that can be seen here it can be reasoned that Lincoln is a very wealthy county. (“Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data)
Socioeconomic Indicators Lincoln is home to only about two percent of Rhode Island’s one million plus residents. Lincoln, in it’s entirety, doesn’t even take up 20 square miles (about 49 kilometers) of space, making its population density quite low, with about 450 people per kilometer squared. Although overall, Lincoln has a relatively low population density, some areas of Lincoln appear to be more populated than other areas of the town. It is estimated that about 1,136 of Lincoln’s total residents live in poverty. In the town of Lincoln, 93.5% of children are not living in poverty, yet 31% of students at Lincoln Middle school are eligible for subsidized lunches. In the state of Rhode Island, 19% of children live below the national poverty line. A great majority of the people living in Lincoln are white. Only about ten percent of people living in Lincoln identify as minorities. Throughout Rhode Island, people identifying as Hispanic appear to be the second most dominant race, comprising about 12% of all non-whites. This is also the case in Lincoln. Hispanics cover 4.1% of the population of Lincoln. This is significant because 39% of Rhode Island’s children living in poverty in 2009-2011 were Hispanic. Given that Hispanics only make up 12% of the Rhode Island population, the incidence of poverty among Hispanic children is alarming. In Lincoln, nearly all females over the age of sixteen are employed, and about three fourths of all males over he age of sixteen are employed. The median household income in Lincoln is $71,926. Compared to the state of Rhode Island, Lincoln is a little richer, but mostly falls within the average.
Cumberland Rhode Island
Geography
The total population of Cumberland is about 34, 370 people (as of 2009). The land is 26.8 square miles and is elevated 326 ft. (“Cumberland, Rhode Island)
Based on the image above it can be reasoned that Cumberland is a relatively suburban setting as well.
Health and Safety
Based on the community data, Cumberland is not the safest place to live in the state. In Cumberland RI there are 7,535 children under the age of 18. Of those 7,535 children 81 are victims of child abuse and neglect, which is about 10.7 per 1000 children. This is lower than the states 13.9 per 1000 children, but it is higher than Lincolns 9.9 per 1000 children. It is clear from this data that more children in Cumberland are victims of child abuse and neglect. In Cumberland there have been 123 reports of domestic abuse with 41 incidents having children present. This is much higher than Lincolns 15 children present. In the past year 5% of students have brought a weapon to school an 10% got into a school fight. Like Lincoln, Cumberland does not have the safest school environment. Of the 1,631 births, 165 receive delayed prenatal care which is a relatively low amount, but not so low that it is amazing. (“Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data)
Family
Family in Cumberland, like Lincoln is relatively stable with a majority of children living in two parent homes. Births to mothers with less than a high school diploma between 2007 and 2011 was 5% compared to the states 16%. Cumberland's percent is one less than Lincolns, but the two are so close together they're numbers are sometimes similar. In 2013 the total population of kids under the age of 18 was 7,535, a -2.0% drop from 2000's 7,690. This is also interesting to note that both Lincoln and Cumberland dropped in population size, though Cumberland's did not drop as much. Rhode Island's number of kids under 18 is 223,956. There are 7,535 children living in homes in Cumberland, 5,651 of which live in married couple homes, 1,400 living in single parent families. There are more married couples in Cumberland than Lincoln which seems to be a good thing. However, the number of children living with grandparents is larger than Lincoln with 334 children living with their grandparents. 3.1% of the children under 18 live below the poverty level, compared to RI's 16.9% . Compared to the state this is a very small margin and it is about 3% lower than Lincoln. The Medium family income of Cumberland is $92,180 compared to the states $68, 243. Much like Lincoln, Cumberland is also a very wealthy community compared to the state average. Cumberland is not the most diverse place to live, but it does have a large number of hispanic and latino living here. There are 6,348 whites in Cumberland, 542 Hispanic and Latino, 154 Black, and 204 Asian. The rest are various other races.
(“Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data)
Socioeconomic Indicators The total population of Cumberland, Rhode Island is 33,506. Cumberland has about 12,000 more people than the neighboring town of Lincoln. That being said, Cumberland is nearly ten square miles larger than Lincoln. It does not appear to have a high population density. Cumberland employs approximately half of its total population (a total of 8,944 males and 7,954 females). Cumberland seems to be slightly poorer than Lincoln in median earnings for both males and females, while still ranking higher than the state average. That being said, the median household income for Cumberland is a little higher than that of Lincoln. The median household income for Cumberland is around $2,200 higher than that of the state of Rhode Island (median income in Cumberland is $72,830). There are only 1,715 people in Cumberland living below the poverty level. Overall Cumberland does not appear to be a particularly poor town. The majority of Cumberland is likely middle class.
(West Greenwich Critical Resources Atlas, n.d.)
Introduction
The community description for West Greenwich was written with the intentions of showing where West Greenwich stands academically, economically, and health/welfare-wise compared with the rest of the state and the country. Based on these standings, one can make conclusions about the quality of schools and student performances in West Greenwich. Factors stated in this report all have impacts on student performances.
Welcome to West Greenwich!
West Greenwich, Rhode Island is located in Kent County, RI, and is one of the smallest rural towns in the state. It is 51 square miles, but despite its large land area, there are only about 6000 residents in the town. This is due to the large amount of conservation land; 47% of the town’s land is preserved and has many beautiful state parks. The children that make up the town are not very diverse, with 91% of them identifying at white, and the rest of the 9% identifying as either black, Hispanic, Asian American, and Native American. (Town of West Greenwich Rhode Island, n.d.)
Environment and Geography
West Greenwich is a small rural town in Kent Country, RI with the area code 02817. The town is around 51 square miles, but don't let that deceive you, the town only has 6,135 (as of the 2010 census) residents. This leads to 121.2 people per square mile. Only .7 of the 51 miles are water while the rest is all land, West Greenwich does not boarder the Atlantic Ocean. Majority of this land is town preserved. At 47% this includes Arcadia State Park, URI/W. Alton Jones Campus and the Big River Management Area. The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Sociiety and the West Greenwich Land Trust also have protected several large parcels, the latest being the 1600 acre Tillinghast Preserve.
Economic Well Being
Majority of the people within West Greenwich are able to live at a relatively wealthy life style. At the West Greenwich school statistics show that the median family income is $103,897 compared to $68,507 for the median family income of Rhode Island. There is a property tax of $22.55 per household thousand. The average cost of rent is $910, compared to $1,176. Only 15% of children live in single-parent families, while there are 31% of children in Rhode Island. Children living in grandparent headed households is only 5%.Only 6.5% of children live in families below the federal poverty threshold, while 17.9% of children in Rhode Island do. Only 1% of children are in families receiving cash assistance, followed by only 92 students are apart of the SNAP program (food stamps).
Health/Family Indicators
Home life plays a very critical role in a child's performance at school. Children who live in a stable, secure home are more likely to come to school focused, prepared, and ready to learn than those who are distracted by family hardships. In the community of West Greenwich, Rhode Island, family environments seem to be mostly stable in comparison to the rest of the state. For example, a 2010 report showed that only 15% of children live in single-parent households, compared to 31% of children in the entire state of RI. Births reported to mothers with less than a high school diploma in the community is a small 4% as of 2012, while in the state of Rhode Island, the rate is 16%. Teen birth rates in the town are miniscule, with a 0.0099% rate to teens aged 15-19 as of 2012. In the entire state, this rate for the same group of people is 0.025%, which is still very low, but much higher than the rate of teen births in the town of West Greenwich. The rate of child abuse and neglect is also very low in the town compared with the rate in the whole state. A 2012 report showed that only about 7 children per 1000 children are abused or neglected in the town of West Greenwich, while about 14 in 1000 children face child abuse in the state as a whole. In addition, that 2012 report also showed that 0 in 1000 children in West Greenwich have an incarcerated parent, while 11 in 1000 children in Rhode Island have an incarcerated parent. The rate of home-related issues for children in West Greenwich are very low compared with children in the rest of the state. This will have an effect of the kids of West Greenwich’s performance in school. With less distractions and distresses at home, kids have a chance to focus and complete work in a safe, encouraging environment where affluent parents are there to help students grow academically. (West_Greenwich_2013, n.d.)
Early Learning/Intervention
Young students who seem to be struggling at a young age or who have learning disabilities need to get help at a very young age, or they may end up suffering academically for the rest of their educational careers. The rate of students participating in early-learning/learning enhancement programs in West Greenwich are very low compared to the state of Rhode Island. For example, the rate of children enrolled in full day kindergarten is 0%, while in the rest of the state, this rate is much higher at 68% (reported in 2012). There are studies showing that full day kindergarten is very beneficial to young children, and is key to the beginning stages of learning development. In West Greenwhich, the rate of children under the age of 3 participating in Early Intervention programs is only 8%, while the rate for the rest of the state is 12% as of 2012. Also, only 0.004% of the children participating in Head Start are from West Greenwich. In comparison to the rest of the state, not many young children are taking advantage of Early Intervention and Head Start programs, which could be interpreted in a couple ways. One being that children in the town aren’t in need of these programs, which would be a good scenario. Another being that the parents of children in West Greenwich aren’t proactive enough to recognize that their child needs help and get it for them. Children reported in 2012 who are enrolled in special education was reported at 18% in Rhode Island, and at 15% in West Greenwich. This rate is around average in West Greenwich compared with the state. From this data, it can be concluded that many young children aren't highly involved in early education enhancing programs in West Greenwich. This could be because students don't need these services, but based on the number of students enrolled in special education in West Greenwich, this seems unlikely. This could be detrimental to the future of these kid’s academic endeavors, because it is known that early education is essential to success later on in the classroom. (West_Greenwich_2013, 2012)
Academic Indicators
Of all of the factors that determines a community’s academic success, test scores seem to have the highest value. In the small community of West Greenwich, students are scoring above average on standardized tests compared with the rest of the state. Of all the fourth graders living in the community, 83% scored at or above “proficiency” level in reading, and 80% scored at or above proficiency in math. As for eighth graders in the community, a stunning 87% scored at or above reading proficiency levels, which was 10% higher than the state average. 73% of the eighth graders in West Greenwich also scored at or above proficiency in math, compared with 58% in the rest of the state. In West Greenwich juniors, 61% score at or above proficiency in math, while only a small 34% achieved this level in the rest of Rhode Island. Rhode Island fourth graders rank 15th in the country for reading skills, and 27th for eighth grade reading skills. These statistics are based off of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test results in 2012. As for high school graduation rates, West Greenwich graduates about 90% of students enrolled in high schools, which is very high compared to the graduation rate of the state, 77%. Rhode Island has the 23rd highest graduation rate in all of the US. West Greenwich is a high scoring town, with many students graduating from high school relative to the state of Rhode Island, and in the entire country. (Education 2013 NEW, 2012)
Conclusion
All in all, West Greenwich is a very privileged community that hasn't taken advantage of their wealth yet scoring very well compared to the rest of Rhode Island. Most households in West Greenwich make around $25,000 above the average. Many of the homes are close-nit families, only 15% of children live in single-parent households, compared to 31% of children in the entire state of Rhode Island. Even those these families are very privileged, they do not take advantage of their wealth and have 0% of students enrolled in kindergarten. This is frowned upon because it is a very crucial stage in life for a child's development. Shockingly, West Greenwich students are excelling in their academics. Compared to the rest of the state fourth graders are scoring over 80% above "proficiency" in broth reading and math. Juniors scored 61%above proficiency in math, while only a small 34% achieved this level in the rest of Rhode Island. Fourth graders are ranked 15th in the country for reading skills, and 27th for eight grade reading skills. Imagine what these students would be capable if they were enrolled into school a year earlier.
Works Cited
Town of West Greenwich Rhode Island: (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2013, from http://www.wgtownri.org/
Education 2013 NEW.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/Education%202013%20NEW.pdf
West_Greenwich_2013.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/West_Greenwich_2013.pdf
West Greenwich Critical Resources Atlas. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2013, from http://www.edc.uri.edu/riatlas/town/West_greenwich.html
EDC 102H Context Report
Community Description
Welcome to Pawtucket, Rhode Island!
Population:
Pawtucket has a relatively high population of Spanish-speakers or non-English speakers, which translates to a relatively high population of ESL students within the school district. In Pawtucket, 25.9% of the population (5+) has disabilities. This is slightly higher than that of Rhode Island’s disabled population of 20.2%. (ProvPlan, 2010) Similarly, the population in Pawtucket that speaks Spanish inside the home is slightly higher than that of Rhode Island’s (15.1% and 10.3%, respectively). However, the population in Pawtucket that speaks English not well or not at all (8.7%) is almost double that of Rhode Island’s (4.8%), which is very significant. Also, in Pawtucket, 61.9% of the population speaks only English in the home. This is significantly lower than the English speaking population of Rhode Island (79.2%). (ProvPlan, 2010) These statistics give us a better understanding of the language barrier challenges faced within the school systems in Pawtucket as a reflection of the city’s population.
Poverty:
It is a fact that poverty is often concentrated in cities. Indeed, Pawtucket is a reflection of that. Between 2007 and 2011, almost two-thirds (65%) of Rhode Island's children living in poverty lived in just four cities. These cities, termed core cities, include Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket, all communities where more than one in four (25%) children live below the poverty threshold. In Pawtucket, 29.4% live in poverty, which is significantly higher than the poverty percentage of Rhode Island (17.9%). Fortunately, the percentage of people living in extreme poverty in Pawtucket is only slightly higher than that of Rhode Island (11.5% and 8.1%, respectively). However, the percentage of children under 6 that are living in poverty in Pawtucket (33.2%) is significantly higher than that of Rhode Island (20.6%). In 2012, the percentage of children in families receiving cash assistance was about the same as the state percentage (5% and 6%, respectively). There was a higher percentage of those who are eligible enrolled in WIC in Pawtucket than in Rhode Island (73% and 69%, respectively). However, there was a lower percentage of low-income children participating in school breakfast in Pawtucket (24%) than in Rhode Island (35%). In Pawtucket, 4% of infants are born at the highest risk. This runs true to the 3% of the highest risk infants born in Rhode Island. In Pawtucket, the median family income ($38,471) is almost half that of the median family income of Rhode Island ($68,507). In fact, Pawtucket has the third lowest median family income in the state of Rhode Island. (RI Kids Count, 2011) These are extremely telling statistics. It is clear that Pawtucket is a poverty-stricken city.
Living Situation:
Although there are high poverty levels in Pawtucket, the living situations are relatively stable. In Pawtucket, 43% of children are living in single-family homes, which is significantly higher than the 35% of Rhode Island. Similarly to the state (6%), 7% of children in Pawtucket are living with grandparents. The cost of rent in Pawtucket ($1,026) is about the same as that of Rhode Island ($1,176). (RI Kids Count, 2012) These numbers show stability. In the 2011-2012 school year, 32 out of the 8,769 children enrolled in public schools were homeless. In 2010, out of the 16,575 children who were under 8 years old in Pawtucket, 70 of them were sheltered homeless, meaning they lived in homeless or domestic violence shelters. Of the 961 homeless children in the state of Rhode Island in the 2011-2012 school year, one third of them (315 children) were in the four core cities. Of the 1,277 sheltered homeless children in 2010, more than half (727 children) were in the four core cities. These two statistics give us a better idea of the type of challenges a city like Pawtucket faces. (RI Kids Count, 2012)
Health:
In Pawtucket, births to mothers with less than a High School diploma from 2007-2011 was 20%, compared to 16% for the state. The percentage of women with delayed prenatal care was 17.7%, while the state was at 15%. The teen birth rate in Pawtucket (per 1,000 girls ages 15-19) was 49.2, nearly double the rate for the state, 25.5. This means that females are becoming mothers at younger age, probably before they've graduated from High School, and prenatal care for women in Pawtucket isn't as readily accessible as prenatal care for women in the rest of the state. (“Profile of Pawtucket, RI,” n.d.)
The percent of infants in Pawtucket born with a low birthweight was 8.6% from 2007-2011, which is higher than the percent for the state during that time period, 7.9%. The infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births was 7.3, compared to 6.5 for the state. Also, the percent of infants exclusively breastfed in Pawtucket is 53%, which is less than the percent for the state, 61%. (“Profile of Pawtucket, RI,” n.d.)
The asthma hospitalization rate per 1,000 children under age 18 is 2.6 for Pawtucket and 2.2 for Rhode Island. "Black and Hispanic children, as well as children of "other" ethnicities in Rhode Island, are more likely to have ever been diagnosed with asthma in their lifetime, compared to non-Hispanic White children" (“Children with Asthma,” n.d.). This may factor into why Pawtucket's asthma hospitalization rate is higher than the state's because much of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
Safety:
As of 2012, 9,913 children under the age of 19 in Pawtucket were receiving medical assistance, which is about 1/10 of Rhode Island's 95,248 children under the age of 19 receiving medical assistance. The number of children abused and neglected (per 1,000 children) in 2012 was 21.2 in Pawtucket and 13.9 in the state. The percent of domestic violence incidents with children present was 29% for both Pawtucket and the state of Rhode Island. The rate of children with incarcerated parents (per 1,000 children) was 15.3 and 11.0 in Pawtucket and Rhode Island, respectively. (“Profile of Pawtucket, RI,” n.d.)
References:
ProvPlan. (n.d.-a). Pawtucket Profile: Disabilities. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/municipality/pawtucket/disabilities/
ProvPlan. (n.d.-b). Pawtucket Profile: Language. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/municipality/pawtucket/language/
ProvPlan. (n.d.-c). Rhode Island Profile: Disabilities. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/state/rhode-island/disabilities/
ProvPlan. (n.d.-d). Rhode Island Profile: Language. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/state/rhode-island/language/
RI Kids Count. (n.d.-a). Pawtucket Profile: Economic Well-Being. Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/Economic%202013%20Factbook%20NEW.pdf
RI Kids Count. (n.d.-b). Pawtucket Profile: Indicators of Child Well-Being. Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/Pawtucket_2013.pdf
Children with Asthma. (n.d.). Rhode Island Kids Count. Retrieved October 17, 2013, from http://rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/13_Factbook_Indicator_29.pdf
Rhode Island Kids Count 2013 Factbook Indicators of Child Well-Being Profile of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. (n.d.). Rhode Island Kids Count. Retrieved October 17, 2013, fromhttp://rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/Pawtucket_2013.pdf
By: Samantha Casler and Ariana Grande
Children with Special Needs
In today’s society, more and more children are being diagnosed with special needs. This is no different for the children of Cumberland, Rhode Island. It is important for schools to offer services to the children who have a chronic disease or disability. These disabilities can be physical, emotional, behavioral or developmental. In the United States, about 15% of children have at least one special healthcare need. This statistic is similar to that of Rhode Island, which is at 17%. Families with children with special needs may have financial burdens, and require special equipment and technology in order to meet the child’s needs. While programs that help children with special needs with everyday life may be offered in schools, families often are not given these resources. They must change their lifestyles to fit with the child’s disability. In 2012, the number of students enrolled in special education classes was the same as that of the state. They both stood at eighteen percent. The majority of these students needed these services due to a learning disability.
Minorities
People of different racial groups have different effects on society. When it comes to poverty, different racial groups account for different amounts of poverty. From 2009-2011, the majority of poor children in Rhode Island were white children; this makes up forty nine percent of the population. Twenty one percent of children living in property are made up of some other race. Following this, are black children who make up sixteen percent of children living in poverty. Asian children make up four percent and Native Americans make up one percent. Of the children in poverty, thirty six percent consist of children ages five and younger. Thirty one percent consist of children age’s six to eleven. The children minorities of Cumberland are similar to those of the state. These children are put into these situations mostly due to their family situations. It is not something that they have any say in. These children have to live with the fact that they were born as minorities. They have to rise above this fact and the possibility of poverty in order to do well in school.
Home Life
A child’s home life situation can impact their success in school. In the state of Rhode Island there were over two hundred thousand children living with one or more parents. Between the same time periods, of 2009 to 2011, almost seventy thousand lived with an unmarried parent. Children in single parent homes are often more likely to live in poverty. The reason for this is the lack of another person’s income. Students living in poverty often do worse in school. They are more likely to drop out of school and become teen parents due to their constant worry about their financial status. In Cumberland, there are many different scenarios in which children live. These include children living with non- relatives, grandparents, other relatives, married- couple families, and single- parent families. Of these, children living with married- couples are the majority in Cumberland. They make up seventy five percent of the population. Single- parent families are made up of almost fifteen hundred families. They make up the next largest percentage of children, accounting for nineteen percent. Children growing up in a home with both parents, have a larger support system than those who grow up in a single parent home. The home situation for children can alter the way they will be for the rest of their lives.
Poverty
In Cumberland, the median family income is $86,050. However, 196 families with children live below the poverty line, and 340 children live below the poverty line. In general, Rhode Island is home to 17,508 families with children who live below the poverty line. This comes out to about 13-14% of families in Rhode Island live in poverty. Overall, Cumberland’s median family income is higher than the general income for all of Rhode Island, with the median family income of Rhode Island being $70,663. This being said, Cumberland is a generally sound town in terms of money and family income. Because the median family income is above the median family income of the state, it can be assumed that Cumberland is mainly made up of comfortable middle class citizens.
Mother's Education
Studies have shown that a mother's educations directly effects their child's education. Mother's who graduated from high school and went off the college, will mostly likely raise children who will graduate from high school, and go off to college. In Cumberland, 55% of mothers of children have at least a Bachelor’s degree or more. 15% of mothers ended their educational degree with just some college, 18% of mothers graduated with a high school diploma but did not go on to college, and only 5% dropped out of high school. In Rhode Island as a whole 35% went on to college and received a bachelor’s degree or higher, 17% went on to experience some college, 26% graduated high school, and 16% dropped out of high school.
Language
Language is not necessarily a barrier in Cumberland Rhode Island. With the majority of residents speaking only english at home, and as their first language, there is no barrier between people by language. In Cumberland, 84% of the population speak only English at home. 2.5% of the Cumberland population speak Spanish at home, and 2.2% speak English not well or not at all. In Rhode Island, 79% of the people speak only English at home, 10.3% speak Spanish at home, and 4.8% speak English not well or not at all. Overall, English is the primary language of residents who live in 02864.
Citations
“RIKCFactbook2013 - 13_Factbook_Indicator_13.pdf.” Accessed October 21, 2013. http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/13_Factbook_Indicator_13.pdf.
“RIKCFactbook2013 - 13_Factbook_Indicator_2.pdf.” Accessed October 21, 2013.
“RIKCFactbook2013 - 13_Factbook_Indicator_22.pdf.” Accessed October 21, 2013.
“RIKCFactbook2013 - 13_Factbook_Indicator_7.pdf.” Accessed October 21, 2013. http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/13_Factbook_Indicator_7.pdf.
INTRODUCTION:
Cumberland is located in the northeasternmost part of Rhode Island. It was incorporated and established in 1746. Cumberland consists of 26.8 square miles, and is a part of Providence County. The area is extremely rocky and rich in several minerals specifically Cumberlandite, the state rock of Rhode Island.
HEALTH:
In Cumberland, the health of children is overall very good. The amount of children born has decreased by 9%, and only 1% have been born with at high risk. 25% of children in Cumberland are enrolled in the breakfast plan, which is a high amount considering 35% of children in Rhode Island are enrolled in this program. In 2010 the amount of children under the age of 18 was 7,535, and in 2012 only 1,577 occupants under the age of 19 are receiving medical assistance. In all of Rhode Island, 95,248 people under the age of 19 are receiving medical assistance.The amount of people participating in the WIC program in Cumberland is 61%, and in total 69% in Rhode Island, so Cumberland is the majority of that. The amount of women that had delayed prenatal care in Rhode Island is 15%, and in Cumberland 10.1% make up that percentage, which again is a majority of it.
Rhode Island
95,248
The white population of Cumberland is 31,102, and in Rhode Island itself the number is 856,869. Cumberland does not make up a big part of the total amount of Rhode Island, but in Cumberland this makes up 92.8% of the population. There are many different races and ethnicities in Cumberland, such as Asian, African American, and Hispanic. The amount of people who don't speak english, or don't speak it well is 4.8% of Rhode Island, and 2.2% of Cumberland. The percent of people that only speak English at home is 79.2% in all of Rhode Island, and 84.8% in Cumberland. The amount of civilians with disabilities in Cumberland is 18.1%, and in Rhode Island is 20.2%.
SAFETY:
The overall safety of Cumberland is very good. The amount of crime in Rhode Island is low in general, but Cumberland is extremely low. In 20120, the crime rate in Cumberland spiked up, but not to an extreme amount, and it is normal for the crime rates in Cumberland to increase and then decrease. This year, the most common type of crime was aggravated assault, but that number is extremely small. Other crime that occur in Cumberland include robbery, and murder but these numbers are very low compared to Rhode Island as a whole
(per 1000 children)
Rhode Island
13.9
(per 1000 children)
Rhode Island
11.0
In 2010 the median family income in Cumberland was $86,05 but the median family income in the state was $70,663. this puts the median family income for Cumberland above that of the state. the percentage of people in RI with a bachelors degree is 21.5% but the percentage for the state is 30.3%. 68.7% of males are employed in Cumberland's opposed to the 65.1%of employed males in the state. (prov plan, “Rhode Island Community Profiles.”)
FAMILY AND FAMILIES:
There are 56.8% husband and wife households in Cumberland as opposed to 44.5% in RI. In Cumberland are 10.6% of households are divorced or separated but 12.5% are divorced or separated in the whole state of Rhode Island.In Cumberland 5.7% households are unmarried partner households although it is 7.6% for the whole state. 2.53 is the average household size for Cumberland and the state of RI. In Rhode Island 3.2% of households do not have a phone but in cumberland 3.7% do not have a phone.(prov plan, “Rhode Island Community Profiles.”)
ECONOMY:
In Rhode Island 122% of the population is below the poverty line but in Cumberland only 5% of the population is below the poverty line. the median income in Rhode island is 54,902 $ but in Cumberland the median household income is 72,830. in Cumberland 24.3% of the population are civilians who are receiving disability from there employer, in the state of Rhodes Island the percentage is only 39.4%. the percentage of people in RI with a bachelors degree is 21.5% but the percentage for the state is 30.3%(prov plan, “Rhode Island Community Profiles.”)
References:Prov plan. “Rhode Island Community Profiles.” Accessed October 16, 2013. http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/state/rhode-island/overview/.profiles. Rhode Island Kids Count. (n.d.). Rhode Island Kids Count 2013 Factbook. Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/Cumberland_2013.pdfRIGOV. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2013, from https://www.ri.gov/Cheryl L. Butler. (December 7). The Charming Essence of Cumberland. Retrieved from http://www.cumberlandri.org/indexpage/essense.htm
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Above is a map of Rhode Island. North Kingstown is the dark red portion on the map; the remaining faded red colors are the towns in Washington County.
Overview:
North Kingstown is a town in Rhode Island, United States; it’s part of Washington County in Rhode Island. Originally, the town was named Kings Towne and was founded in 1674, by the colonial government. Kings Towne included the present day towns of North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Exeter, and Narragansett. However in 1722, Kings Towne was split into two parts, North Kingstown and South Kingstown.
Geography:
North Kingstown is located in Washington County which is in the southern half of Rhode Island near Narragansett. It is off of Route 138 and pretty close to University of Rhode Island. It is not directly on the coast, but it is about 10 miles from the water. It is about 60 square miles, 15 of which are made up of water from the various ponds.
Population:
Population is a key indicator in educational success, especially whether or not the population speaks very well English. Many students who receive English as their second language face challenges that affect their educational setting such as poverty, low parental educational levels, racism, discrimination, and lack of access to health care. Within Rhode Island, there is a minority population of 248,882 people; within the people in the minority, 48,335 of them speak English as their second language. Within North Kingstown, the minority population is 1,832 people and only 128 of them do not speak English well or at all. In general, the majority of the North Kingstown population speak English within their home. Since the majority predominately speak English, these students have a better advantage of succeeding academically.
Family Income/ Poverty:
Family income and poverty plays a very large role in a student's successfulness in school; children in poverty have a much more difficult time in school than those who do not live in poverty. In North Kingstown, the median family income is $93,844 and the median household income is $76,316 as of 2010. The median family income is comprised of a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption and are residing together while the median household income is comprised of one or more people living together (they do not need to be related). The numbers shown in the table about North Kingstown are much higher than Rhode Island overall. In the overview of Rhode Island, the median family income is $70,663 and the median household income is $54,902. Therefore, North Kingstown is above average compared to Rhode Island as a whole.
Disabilities:
A person can have special needs that are physical, emotional, developmental, or behavioral. Disabilities is another factor that plays into a child's successfulness in an educational setting. Whatever kind of special need a child has affects the type of teaching they need in the classroom in order to flourish. In Rhode Island, 195,806 people have disabilities and of those 195,806 people, 3,539 live in North Kingstown as of 2000. According to Rhode Island Kids Count, 18% of students are enrolled in a special needs program in the state of Rhode Island. In North Kingstown, 13% of students are enrolled in a special needs program. In other words, North Kingstown has 5% less students with special needs than the entire state itself.
Safety
There are many different levels of safety that come into play including abuse or neglect by parents or other family members, domestic violence in the presence of children, incarcerated parents, as well as the surrounding neighborhoods. Safety is a key factor that plays a role in the level of success that a student has in school. As of 2012, the average number of victims of child abuse and neglect per 1,000 children in North Kingstown is 6.6, compared to 13.9 in Rhode Island as a whole. This number is just under half of that in the entire state, which is significantly lower. The rate of children with incarcerated parents per 1,000 is also at 6.6, but out of 11.0 total in Rhode Island. This number is also much lower in North Kingstown that in the whole state. 31% of domestic violence incidents occur with children present in North Kingstown compared to only 29% in the whole state. North Kingstown's rate is higher than it is in all of Rhode island, but not much much. A neighborhood can be classified safe or unsafe based on the crime level in the area and the town in general.
Kingston Hill Academy is located in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
(per 1,000 children)
(per 1,000 children)
Health
Health is not only crucial because of how it can affect their lives or the lives of their children, but it health also is a main factor in absences at school.
Health impacts the success of a child a lot. Children can be born unhealthy, or into an unhealthy lifestyle, and that will impact their success in school if they are unable to get the help they need. As of 2012, the amount of birth mothers in North Kingstown who received less than a high school diploma is at 5%, compared to 16% in all of Rhode Island. Women with delayed prenatal care is at a rate of 10.6%, which is relatively high, but looks good compared to the entire states 15%. Infants born with low birthweight is at a rate of 5.2% in North Kingston, and 7.9% in Rhode Island. All of these numbers are much lower in North Kingstown than they are in the whole state. Asthma hospitalization rate for children under 18 is 1.3 per 1,000 and Rhode Island is at 2.2 Teen birth rate, which is determined by 1,000 girls between the ages 15 and 19, is 11.3 in North Kingstown and 25.5 in Rhode Island as a whole. Of all newborn infants in Rhode Island, 61% of them are exclusively breastfed, while 72% in North Kingstown of them are. However, infant mortality rate is at 8.4 per 1,000 live births in North Kingstown compared to 6.5 in the entire state. This level is a bit higher in the entire town than the state.
(per 1,000 live births)
(per 1,000 children under age 18)
(per 1,000 girls age 15-19)
Citations:
Rhode Island Kids Count 2013 Factbook. (n.d.). RI Kids Count. Retrieved October 17, 2013, from www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/documents/North_Kingstown_2013.pdf
The Providence Plan. (n.d.). Rhode Island Community Profiles. Retrieved from
http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/state/rhodeisland/overview/
The Providence Plan. (n.d.). Rhode Island Community Profiles: North Kingstown. Retrieved from http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/municipality/north-kingstown/overview/
South Kingstown Context Report
By Marisa DeCollibus and Kayla FreemanIntroduction
South Kingstown is not unlike other picturesque New England towns. It has plenty of ocean, substantial town infrastructure, and historic villages to name a few of its attractions. However, no town is completely understood without looking at what goes on behind the idealistic photos displayed on their visitors brochure. The following report is a compilation of the towns geography, health, safety, families, socioeconomic status, and demographics to better understand the community in which students are growing up.
Geographic Snap Shot
South Kingstown is situated in the lower right hand corner of Rhode Island. It contains many coast communities and ponds. Prominent towns in South Kingstown include Wakefield, East Matunuck and Peace Dale. The available Affordable Housing plan offered on South Kingstown's website is from 2005 and shows a concentrated area in Peace Dale with low-income housing.
South Kingstown Geographic Information System (Division of the Planning Department). (n.d.). Planning: Affordable Housing Production Plan | Town of South Kingstown. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://www.southkingstownri.com/town-government/municipal-departments/planning/affordable-housing-production-plan
Health Report
From the data reported on Rhode Island Kids Count the majority of children under the age of 18 in South Kingstown are not using RI Health Care. For South Kingstown, about 1/7 are receiving RI care, meaning the rest have access to a private plan or are not receiving any healthcare. Compared to Central Falls, which is economically unstable, approximately 4/5 of the children there are utilizing RI Health Care. Similarly, only 9% of the women in South Kingstown had delayed prenatal care, in Central Falls 20% of women had delayed prenatal care. The likelihood of women receiving prenatal care in South Kingstown is good, affecting the amount of pre-term births. In South Kingstown only 9.2% of births were reported as pre-term, Central Falls reported 11.2% of births as pre-term. The comparisons above depict South Kingstown as having high quality health care for their children.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2013, from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators
Safety Report
Rhode Island Kids Count also showed South Kingstown (SK) to be a fairly safe environment. Being a suburban area the crime rate for SK is reported as fairly low. According to Kids Count, 6.5 out of 1,000 children face neglect or abuse where Central Falls had 20.2 out of 1,000. There were 21 incidences of violent crime offenses in SK compared to Central Falls with 101 incidences. The suburban setting of South Kingstown appears to provide a safe environment. Surprisingly, 36% of children in South Kingstown were present during incidents of domestic violence, a statistic which is 7% higher than the state average. Although South Kingstown seems fairly safe, the high incidences of domestic violence suggests a family turmoil as an area of concern.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2013, from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators
Family Report
Most children in South Kingstown live in a fairly average family. 20% of the children living in South Kingstown are in single parent households which is 11% less than the state average. The family unit in SK seems, for the most part, to contain demographics similar to other Rhode Island towns. Children in SK living with their grandparents constitutes only 5% which is one percent less than the state average. Most of the children in SK are also living with educated mothers, 61% of mothers have graduated with a bachelors degree or above. This is very high compared to Central Falls with 7% of mothers graduation with above a bachelors degree and the state average of 35%. Having a high rate of literate mothers means children are being exposed to a broader vocabulary at an earlier age which can help in their performance in school.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2013, from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators
Socioeconomic Report
When comparing South Kingston to the rest of Rhode Island, the data is very different. South Kingston has a significantly higher median income. South Kingston is $101,857, whereas Rhode Island is $68,507. Also, the percentage of children living in families below the federal poverty threshold is 5.7% in South Kingston and 17.9% in Rhode Island. (Rhode Island Kids Count, 2013)
However, it is difficult to get a reliable comparison when comparing the Rhode Island as a whole because there are many areas that would greatly skew the data. Therefore, I looked at a few of the neighboring towns, including Narragansett, North Kingston, Richmond, and Charlestown. From the chart above it is clear to see the towns surrounding South Kingston are at similar, and, in some cases, higher, economic standings. This makes it easier to compare because it shows that there must be many places way below the Rhode Island average that bring down the data of the state.
Demographics
The majority of the population of South Kingston is white, 90.8%, with the other 9.2% a relatively even distribution of Hispanic, American Indian (specifically the Narragansett Indian Tribe can describe the unusual percentage of N.Americans), Asian, and Black. Furthermore, in Rhode Island 79.2% of people speak only English in their homes, whereas in South Kingston 93% of people only speak English. Additionally, demographics goes beyond race and could be looked at by age and sex. Therefore, in RI 64.3% of the population is between ages 18-64 and 15.8% of the population is ages 5-17. In South Kingston 68.6% of the population is between the ages of 18-64, and 13.9% of the population is between the ages of 5-17. For age, there is no significant difference between the spread of age for South Kingston and Rhode Island. As for sex, in Rhode Island for the population of people between the ages of 18-64, since this is the largest amount of people, there are 51% females and 49% males. In South Kingston males ages 18-64 make up 47.4% of the population of people between the ages of 18-64, and females make up 52.6%. Similar to age, there is no significant difference between the ratio of gender in the population. (ProvPlan, 2013)
Conclusion
This information is significant when looking at schools in the area because it is important to know information from the location of the school and surrounding areas in order to get a better understanding of the school itself. By looking at the data from South Kingstown and it's surrounding areas, one can conclude that South Kingstown seems to be economically, academically, and criminally better than the average found in Rhode Island.
Introduction:
The city of Providence is the capital of Rhode Island. However, it can be seen as completely different compared to many other districts that are also in the state of RI. Half of Providence is minorities, which some might say contributes to the high poverty level. On average, less people own homes and vehicles in Providence compared to RI, but this can also relate to the public transportation percent being higher as well. Residents of Providence earn less money, have less quality-health and is considered less safe for the children living there compared to RI as a whole. Even though there are some wealthy areas in Providence, Rhode Island overall is superior in most aspects.
Demographics:
It can easily be seen through Providence’s demographics that this area houses a significant amount of Rhode Island’s minority population. Of the recorded 178,042 people located in Providence, 111,132 are minority (62%). Whereas compared to Rhode Island as a whole, only 24% of its residents are minority. Providence hosts 32.8% Hispanic and over the age of 18 and Rhode Island only holds 10.2%. The Hispanic community is not the only minority that outnumbers most in Providence. The black community in Providence (16%) is slightly higher than Rhode Island (6%) as well. Both Rhode Island and Providence have only 1% of an Asian population. Reported by ProvPlan (a census), Providence has 30% of families with children that are in poverty while being compared to Rhode Island who has 14%. So it is clear that Providence is more in poverty although 86% and 88% of females and males respectively are employed.
Housing:
Housing in Providence compared to Rhode Island overall differs in many way but at the same time has many resembling aspects such as people per household or how many houses there are. The average household in Providence houses 2.66 and Rhode Island houses 2.44 people, very similar numbers. Providence has fewer households in general but they have 5% more households than Rhode Island that hold 6 or more people residing in them. As previously mentioned in demographics, Providence is known more for their minorities. 16% of householders are black in Providence (5% in Rhode Island) and 31% are identified as Hispanic (9% in Rhode Island). Providence also houses less husband and wife households than Rhode Island overall (29% to 45%, respectively). Throughout Rhode Island, not only couples can be found, but elderly couples as well. Rhode Island provides homes to a lot of the elderly, both homeowners and renters (26% and 19%, respectively). Providence elders, age 65 and over own and rent slightly less than Rhode Island as a whole, but not significantly less than (23% and 12% respectively).
Transportation:
Finding transportation is crucial to relocating to various landmarks throughout Rhode Island. 77% of households in Providence have a car; 89% of households in Rhode Island have a car. So evidently people in Providence need to be more ‘transportation savvy’ and they are. More people in Providence (14%) carpool and drive alone (63%) to work whereas only 9% carpool and 81% drive alone to work within the state of Rhode Island. Providence residents use public transportation 5% more than Rhode Island as a whole too.
Economy:
Compared to the entire state of RI, Providence is substantially lower in economic status. When it comes to the median household income, a Providence household makes about $36,925, while the state average is about $54,902. The same goes for the median earnings for both males and females in Providence. The average male in RI earns $37,258, while the average Providence male resident only earns $25,143. That’s $12,115 less which is an imperative amount of money. Females in Providence earn $8,375 less than the average female earning in RI, which is not as drastic as males however still an amount that could be influential to a Providence household. Another statistic of Providence that shows their reduced economic status are their persons below poverty level. Throughout the state of RI, 12.2% of the people account for being below poverty level, while Providence’s residents account for 26.3%, a major difference. Overall, Providence is noticeably below the economic averages throughout the state of RI.
Health:
Providence is not as inclined to healthcare as many other areas of RI. Since their average households make a significant less amount of money than the average RI household, their health factors take the hit. Problems with health start all the way back to birth. In Providence, 22.10% of women have delayed prenatal care, while RI as a whole only has 14.90%. Delayed prenatal care can be the cause of children with disabilities, so the last statistic is directly correlated to the populations who actually have disabilities. 23.1% of the population of Providence has disabilities while RI as a whole only has 20.2%. Providence also has a higher percentage of infants born with low birth weight and the amount of asthma hospitalizations than the state of RI. This information shows that RI has better-quality health overall than the city of Providence.
Safety:
Rhode Island’s public safety is much better than the city of Providence. For every 1000 children, 21.7 of them have an incarcerated parent, while RI’s rate is only 10.4. On the same scale, the average of 19.1 children are abused and neglected as victims. RI is at 13.3 children for child abuse victims. When it comes to domestic violence incidents with children, Providence is at 33% while Rhode Island is at 28%. These statistics show that the state of RI as a whole is much safer than Providence, especially for children.
Conclusion:
Overall, it can be said Providence is ran by minorities. More minorities live in homes in Providence than compared to Rhode Island as a whole. Providence is also known to house more people to one house; even though there are less homes there than when compared to Rhode Island, they are less spacious for the residents. It is also easily identifiable that public transportation is used more often throughout this city. This is necessary considering less people do not own their own vehicles due to their low salaries. Most men within Providence make more money than females but females also earn a significant less on average than those averaged in Rhode Island. The low salaries in Providence can lead to the explanation of why this city has a 26.3% poverty rate. Low salaries usually entail no health benefits either which impact families from the beginning with simple viruses turning into permanent damage or babies developing avoidable defects during pregnancy. Issues such as no health insurance of lack of economic stability lead to frustration and desperate measures. Actions that would relate would be child abuse or taking part in crimes to assist the well being of the family and self for the future. With this, Providence is rated much lower in the safety department than Rhode Island as a whole.
Providence, Rhode Island
Geography
Providence is the most populated city in Rhode Island. It is located in Providence county, the third largest city in New England.
In 2010 the city proved to be densely populated with a total population of 178,042 people in 71,530 housing units. (Bureau, “American FactFinder - Community Facts.”) This city is located at above the Narragansett Bay and the Providence river runs through the center of the city. There are a total of 25 neighborhoods in the city of Providence. This urban area is geographically compact with irregular city scape. The population has a great amount of diversity with large populations of Hispanics, Caucasians, and African Americans.Economics
Students living in Providence have a greater chance of living in economic hardship than in other parts of Rhode Island. There is a higher concentration of students in poverty in Providence than elsewhere. They are living in more single parent family homes than elsewhere in Rhode Island. (RI Kids count). As a result, the median family income in providence is less than that of an average family in other parts of the state, with Providence incomes at $34,877 in 2010 while the average was $68,507. (RI kids count). In Rhode Island, the percentage of children living in families below the federal poverty threshold is 17.9%, but due to the low family income, 37.3% of children live in poverty in Providence. (RI kids count). More children living in Providence receive government assistance whether its cash assistance, SNAP, WIC or the school breakfast program. These programs mostly focus on getting students the proper nutrition that they need, as more children in Providence need government assistance with basic needs such as food.
Family Structure
According to Rhode Island Kids count, there are a wide variety of living situations for children in the city of Providence. Out of the 178,042 residence in Providence, 41, 634 of these residents are minors. As of 2010, there were 16,931 children who lived with married couples. The total number of children who live with non-relatives is 632 and 1,663 live with non-parents relatives. The amount of mothers who have a bachelors degree or higher in providence is lower than the rest of the state. Twenty one percent of the mothers in providence have bachelors degrees or higher, while 35% of mothers in Rhode Island have the same. In Providence, 30% of mothers have a high school diploma and 29% have less than a high school diploma. In the state of Rhode Island there is a lower percentage of mothers with a high school diploma (26%), and 16% have less than a high school diploma. The mother's level of education has a direct impact on their children. Mother's with a high level of education will most likely have higher paying jobs to support their child. They will also be more educated and therefore will be able to introduce their children to more vocabulary, increasing literacy skills.
The number of kids over the age of 16 working has increased from 76, 833 in the year 2000 to 89,381 ten years later (Prov Plan). This shows that more people at a young age need to support themselves or their family than before. That kind of work can lead to more students slacking in their school work or even dropping out of school. The majority of people that live in Providence are multiracial, making it a very diverse place to live (Prov Plan). For the large amount of households, around 18,000 are made up of families that have married parents. That number has gone down from 2000 by around 3000 families (ProvPlan).
Health
From the years 2008 to 2012, the number of children in Providence who have receive medical assistance has increased from 29,440 to 31,957. In the state of providence, the percentage of infants born to mothers with less than a high school diploma is about 30% in Providence, while the rate is half as many in the rest of Rhode Island. Mothers with less than a high school diploma will have a more difficult time providing for their children. Prenatal care has a large impact on successful child development. In Providence 21% of woman receive late prenatal care, compared to 15% of mothers in the rest of state. This means that mothers in the rest of state receive prenatal care earlier and are more likely to have children develop regularly. The hospitalization of per 1,000 children with asthma in Providence was 3.9 in 2012 and 2.2 for the rest of the state. Overall, Providence is slightly behind the rest of the state in their quality of health.
Academics
In comparison to the rest of Rhode Island, Providence is slightly less ahead in their test scores. It's population is much more diverse than the rest of the state and is home to many more English. Providence has a higher crime rate and is less economically affluent than the rest of the state. The quality of education in providence is slightly lower than the rest of Rhode Island. The test scores indicated that the proficiency levels are much lower in comparison to the rest of Rhode Island. In regards to math, 11% are above are at grade level by 11th grade in providence, while 27% are above on on grade level in the rest of the state. A similar gap exists in 8th grade and 4th grade. This suggests that little is done to improve math performance in providence. In regards to reading level, providence children are about 20% less proficient in reading than in the rest of the state. At the high school level, 85% of students attend while 91% attend in the rest of the state.
It is believed that often the absence of early intervention is was contributes to the gaps in test scores. However, in both the state Rhode Island and Providence about 10% of children receive early intervention. About 1/3 of the Headstart centers in Rhode Island are located in Providence. Also 100% of children in Providence are in full day Kindergarten compared to only 50% of Rhode Island students. In the state of Rhode Island, about 5% of students are English learners. However, Providence has increased to 20% English learners by the year 2012. The higher population English learners has most impacted these proficiency levels.
HousingProvidence is home to many different types of families and people. There are approximately 25,000 students living in Providence in dorms for one of the various colleges (Prov Plan). That number increased slightly from 2000 to 2010 but not by much. The vast majority of people that live in Providence live in family households. Over 259,000 family households are in Providence, which is over half of the households (Prov Plan). However, that number decreased by around 5,000 from the year 2000 to 2010.
The majority of the householders are white/ non-Hispanic, with over 339,000 households. That number decreased from 2000 to 2010. A possible reason for the decrease is the increase in other households. Hispanic households have increased from 25,110 to 36,654 and black households have also increased from 15,922 to 20,488. (Prov Plan) The number of households with an American Indian householder, Asian householder and a householder that identifies as more than one race have also increased. (Prov Plan)
School Description
Paul Cuffee School Charter School Rhode IslandHistory
The Paul Cuffee School, located in Providence Rhode Island opened its doors in September 2001. It initially began with four grades (K-3). Fourth and fifth grade students started in 2002 and 2003 as the younger students advanced and new students at the joined the younger grade levels. By the 205-For the 2005-2006 scholastic year, there were students enrolled in grades K-7. In November of 2005, a middle school was opened in a near by location, enabling students 6-8 to attend.
ride.ri.gov
Organization
The school is governed by a Board of Trustees. The 24 members of this board are appointed by the Sailing Institutes. The Board is made up of teachers, parents, and different community members and agencies. Meetings are held once a month. In the past year there as been a Strategic Planning Committee added and an Education committee. Students in the Paul Cuffee school are admitted through a lottery system. The class size is relatively small with no more than 16 students to a teacher. Teacher's assistants are available, and focus on individualized instruction.
Family Involvement
The Paul Cuffee School has two part time Family Coordinators to aid in family engagement. One of the two Family Coordinators is bilingual. This individual works with the family outreach and has organized events such a clothing drives, translation equipment, and school dinners. There is a classroom space for the Family Center, that has hours in which parents can drop in. In this space the social worker and the Wellness Director discusses important topics. Parents of students with special needs can be involved in the Parent Coordinators group which meets three times a year. The Paul Cuffee School has an active PTA/PTO group that organized various activities.
Student Support Services
At the Paul Cuffee School 59 of the 386 students, have special needs. At the elementary school level and middle school level
Each student has an academic folder, however those with an IEP also have a special education folder. There is ongoing communication between resource teachers and classroom teachers. Elementary School students have both after school tutoring and a resource teacher. Counseling at the elementary school level works on behavioral improvement. If a child is overwhelmed they can go to the Recovery Center (social workers office) before reentering the classroom. Counseling can be done on a one-on-one level or a group setting. As a partner with the providence center, families can receive help if faced with crisis.
At the middle level, counseling is done one-on-one and in gender specific groups. Meditation counseling and individual counseling is available for students with interpersonal problems. Each classroom has a focus area, in which students can calm down before rejoining the class. If ineffective, the student can go to the planning room in which they will write down their difficulties to be reviewed by a social worker.
Geography
Providence is the capital and largest city of Rhode Island. Not only is it large, it is also very densely populated with a total population of 178,042 people in 71,530 housing units as of 2010 (Bureau, “American FactFinder - Community Facts.”). Providence is 18.40 square miles with 9,676.2 people per square mile (Census Bureau, “Providence (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau.”). Providence is also very industrial compared to the rest of the state. In Providence alone there are 15,395 companies (Bureau, “American FactFinder - Community Facts.”)
Basic Demographics
Population Over 18
Since 2010, a little over 1/6 of Rhode Island's population lives exclusively in Providence. Of that same population, living in Providence is a little under 1/6 of the Rhode Island population who are 18 years or younger.
Population Who Cannot Speak English Well Or At All
Knowing that Providence holds over 1/6 of Rhode Island's population, 14.9% of Providence's population are not fluent in English. Providence contains over half of the amount of people who cannot speak fluent English in the entire state.
Population With Disabilities Age 5+
Almost 1/5 of the people who have disabilities in Rhode Island, older than the age of five, live within Providence.
Income/Poverty Level
Median Income Per Year
The median female income in Rhode Island is $7,000 greater than in Providence whereas the median male income is $12,000 more. The average family income in Providence is $21,000 more, probably due to family members needing those who are older than 18 to stay and help out with family finances. The overall median household income is $18,000 more than what it is in Providence, which connects directly with the female and male incomes. American Indian, Black, Hispanic, and other households are roughly the same in the Providence compared to the rest of the state, not ranging much more than a few thousand dollar differences. However, there is a significant difference in Asian and Non-Hispanic White households with a $15,000 and a $14,000 difference respectively.
People Under 200% of Poverty
Half of Providence's population is living under 200% of poverty and makes up nearly 1/3 of Rhode Island's population under the 200% poverty line.
Per Capita Income
Providence's average per capita income is $8,000 less than the state's average.
Public Assistance Households
Providence alone makes up almost 1/3 of the entire state's public assistance households.
Ethnicity/Race
Percentage in parentheses next to population number is what percentage of the population is that ethnicity
Providence, compared with the Rhode Island, contains over 1/3 of the American Indian population and Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander population. Almost half of the Black population lives in Providence along with over half of the Hispanic population of Rhode Island, whereas the only 1/10 of the White population lives in Providence.
Families
Providence is the capital of Rhode Island and, as such, has a large and dense population. In providence alone there are 178,042 people as of 2010. Between 2000 and 2010 there was a 2.5% population increase from 173,618 to 178,042. Of that population 41,634 people are under the age of 18. Children’s living arrangements as of 2010 vary. There were 41,497 children living in a household in Providence compared to 223,144 total in Rhode Island. 16,931 children lived in married couple families in Providence while 133,057 children did in all of Rhode Island. In contrast, 19,136 Providence children live in single parent families while 68,138 children total in Rhode Island do. In Providence 632 children live with non-relatives and 1,663 live with other relatives. In Rhode Island 3,468 children live with non-relatives and 4,398 live with other relatives. The education levels of mothers also varies in Providence compared to the rest of Rhode Island. 21% of Providence mothers have a bachelor’s degree or higher. 35% of all mothers in Rhode Island have the same education. About 30% of mothers on Providence have a high school diploma and 29% of mothers have less than a high school diploma. Out of all of Rhode Island 26% have high school diplomas and 16% have less than a high school diploma.
(Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, “Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators.”)
Health
The children of providence are nowhere near the most healthy. In Providence there are a total of 31,957 children under 19 receiving medical assistance as of December 31, 2012. In 2011-2012 28% of children in Providence were using alcohol. 31% of children had used or were using marijuana. Then only 6% of children used cigarettes. Teen pregnancy was high during the time period from 2007-2011. There was 1,938 births to Providence girls between the ages of 15-19. During that same time period there were 13,970 births in Providence out of the total number of 57,929 in Rhode Island. Of those there were 1,270 low birth weights in providence alone. Then there were 122 infant deaths in Providence and 376 in all of Rhode Island. (Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, “Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators.”)
Safety
Providence is not the safest places in Rhode Island. In 2008 child abuse and neglect indicated victims equaled around 14,400. That number rose to 20,100 in 2012. On a brighter note the number of children with incarcerated parents decreased from 26.2 to 22.1 between 2008 and 2012 per 1000 children. Domestic violence with children present rose from 32% in 2008 to 33% in 2011. In high schools only 6% of teens brought a weapon to school in 2012. Also 10% of teens were involved in a physical fight in 2012. (Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, “Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators.”)
Citations
Bureau, U. S. Census. “American FactFinder - Community Facts.” Accessed October 18, 2013. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/community_facts.xhtml.
Census Bureau. “Providence (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau.” Accessed October 18, 2013. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/44/4459000.html.
"MovingToRI.org." Moving To Providence:. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. <http://www.movingtori.org/cities/providence/>
"Rhode Island Community Profiles." Rhode Island Community Profiles. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.
<http://profiles.provplan.org/profiles/state/rhode-island/overview/>
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. “Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators,” 2013. http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators.
Community Descriptions for Cumberland RI and Lincoln RI
Introduction:
The Purpose of this report is to give a description of what the community is like in Lincoln RI and Cumberland RI. Both of these county's are directly next to each other a the top right corner of the state of Rhode Island. Topics that will be discussed in regards to both districts are: health, safety, family, and economic well being.
Lincoln Rhode Island
GeographyThe total population of Lincoln is about 22, 049 (as of 2009). It is 18.2 square miles and is elevated 60 ft. (“Lincoln, Rhode Island)
Based on the image above Lincoln seems to have a very suburban setting.
Health and Safety
When it comes to the health and safety of Lincoln, it seems like it may not be the best location. In Lincoln, there are 4,751 kids under the age of 18, 47 of which are victims of child abuse and neglect. The state contains a total of 223,956 children under 18 with 3,117 of those kids suffering from neglect. Compared to this Lincoln has a relatively small number, which is a good thing. Though, looking at the state as a whole it also has a relatively small number which is a good thing.Where things are not going as well is that 35% of children in Lincoln are present for domestic violence, which exceeds the states 29% by a good 6%. It may not seem like a huge difference, but it is a significant one. School violence is also an issue, 6% of students brought a weapon to school and 11% got into a physical fight at the school. These exceed the state averages with 5% bringing weapons to school and 10% fighting in schools. This raises questions as to why these kids feel like they need to bring weapons to perhaps protect themselves in an environment that is supposed to be safe. In Lincoln RI of the 902 births, 100 receive delayed prenatal care. Compared to the states 57,929 births 8,661 receive delayed prenatal care. Based on that data Lincoln's children are relatively well cared for. (“Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data)
Family
Family in Lincoln is relatively stable with a majority of children living in a married couple home. According to the data on kids count between 2007 and 2011 6% if births in Lincoln were to a mother with less than a high school diploma with 16% in the state. Thankfully this is is a relatively small number in a span of about 5 years. In Lincoln there are a total population of 4,751 kids under the age of 18 (2013) lower than the population in 2000 which was 5,157, which is a -7.9% change. This is an interesting development. The cause of which may be kids were unsafe in school or maybe families could not afford the cost of living in the community and moved away. In Lincoln there are 4,743 living in a home with 3,270 living in married couple homes, 1,146 living in single parent homes. While the majority are in a married couple home, the number of children living in single parent homes. 211, which is a rather small number of children live with their grandparents A large majority of the child population is white, 3,885. 353 children are Hispanic or Latino and 114 are black. The next largest diversity groups are Asians with 164 children, 7 american Indian/Alaskan native, and 22 are some other race. This is not the most ethnically diverse community with a huge majority being white. 6.5% of children live under the poverty level in Lincoln RI, compared to the 16.9% average of the state. Compared to the state Lincoln's children are doing relatively well. The median family income is $87,023 compared to the states $68,243. Based on the data that can be seen here it can be reasoned that Lincoln is a very wealthy county. (“Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data)
Socioeconomic Indicators
Lincoln is home to only about two percent of Rhode Island’s one million plus residents. Lincoln, in it’s entirety, doesn’t even take up 20 square miles (about 49 kilometers) of space, making its population density quite low, with about 450 people per kilometer squared. Although overall, Lincoln has a relatively low population density, some areas of Lincoln appear to be more populated than other areas of the town.
It is estimated that about 1,136 of Lincoln’s total residents live in poverty. In the town of Lincoln, 93.5% of children are not living in poverty, yet 31% of students at Lincoln Middle school are eligible for subsidized lunches. In the state of Rhode Island, 19% of children live below the national poverty line.
A great majority of the people living in Lincoln are white. Only about ten percent of people living in Lincoln identify as minorities. Throughout Rhode Island, people identifying as Hispanic appear to be the second most dominant race, comprising about 12% of all non-whites. This is also the case in Lincoln. Hispanics cover 4.1% of the population of Lincoln.
This is significant because 39% of Rhode Island’s children living in poverty in 2009-2011 were Hispanic. Given that Hispanics only make up 12% of the Rhode Island population, the incidence of poverty among Hispanic children is alarming.
In Lincoln, nearly all females over the age of sixteen are employed, and about three fourths of all males over he age of sixteen are employed.
The median household income in Lincoln is $71,926. Compared to the state of Rhode Island, Lincoln is a little richer, but mostly falls within the average.
Cumberland Rhode Island
Geography
The total population of Cumberland is about 34, 370 people (as of 2009). The land is 26.8 square miles and is elevated 326 ft. (“Cumberland, Rhode Island)
Based on the image above it can be reasoned that Cumberland is a relatively suburban setting as well.
Health and Safety
Based on the community data, Cumberland is not the safest place to live in the state. In Cumberland RI there are 7,535 children under the age of 18. Of those 7,535 children 81 are victims of child abuse and neglect, which is about 10.7 per 1000 children. This is lower than the states 13.9 per 1000 children, but it is higher than Lincolns 9.9 per 1000 children. It is clear from this data that more children in Cumberland are victims of child abuse and neglect. In Cumberland there have been 123 reports of domestic abuse with 41 incidents having children present. This is much higher than Lincolns 15 children present. In the past year 5% of students have brought a weapon to school an 10% got into a school fight. Like Lincoln, Cumberland does not have the safest school environment. Of the 1,631 births, 165 receive delayed prenatal care which is a relatively low amount, but not so low that it is amazing. (“Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data)
Family
Family in Cumberland, like Lincoln is relatively stable with a majority of children living in two parent homes. Births to mothers with less than a high school diploma between 2007 and 2011 was 5% compared to the states 16%. Cumberland's percent is one less than Lincolns, but the two are so close together they're numbers are sometimes similar. In 2013 the total population of kids under the age of 18 was 7,535, a -2.0% drop from 2000's 7,690. This is also interesting to note that both Lincoln and Cumberland dropped in population size, though Cumberland's did not drop as much. Rhode Island's number of kids under 18 is 223,956. There are 7,535 children living in homes in Cumberland, 5,651 of which live in married couple homes, 1,400 living in single parent families. There are more married couples in Cumberland than Lincoln which seems to be a good thing. However, the number of children living with grandparents is larger than Lincoln with 334 children living with their grandparents. 3.1% of the children under 18 live below the poverty level, compared to RI's 16.9% . Compared to the state this is a very small margin and it is about 3% lower than Lincoln. The Medium family income of Cumberland is $92,180 compared to the states $68, 243. Much like Lincoln, Cumberland is also a very wealthy community compared to the state average. Cumberland is not the most diverse place to live, but it does have a large number of hispanic and latino living here. There are 6,348 whites in Cumberland, 542 Hispanic and Latino, 154 Black, and 204 Asian. The rest are various other races.
(“Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data)
Socioeconomic Indicators
The total population of Cumberland, Rhode Island is 33,506. Cumberland has about 12,000 more people than the neighboring town of Lincoln. That being said, Cumberland is nearly ten square miles larger than Lincoln. It does not appear to have a high population density. Cumberland employs approximately half of its total population (a total of 8,944 males and 7,954 females). Cumberland seems to be slightly poorer than Lincoln in median earnings for both males and females, while still ranking higher than the state average. That being said, the median household income for Cumberland is a little higher than that of Lincoln. The median household income for Cumberland is around $2,200 higher than that of the state of Rhode Island (median income in Cumberland is $72,830). There are only 1,715 people in Cumberland living below the poverty level. Overall Cumberland does not appear to be a particularly poor town. The majority of Cumberland is likely middle class.
Works Cited
“Cumberland, Rhode Island (RI 02864) Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages, Homes, Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools, Crime, Moving, Houses, News.” Accessed October 22, 2013. http://www.city-data.com/city/Cumberland-Rhode-Island.html.
“Lincoln, Rhode Island (RI 02865) Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages, Homes, Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools, Crime, Moving, Houses, News.” Accessed October 22, 2013. http://www.city-data.com/city/Lincoln-Rhode-Island.html.
“Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - Indicators.” Accessed October 22, 2013. http://rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. “Women with Delayed Prenatal Care.” Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Accessed October 22, 2013. http://rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. “Mother's Education Level.” Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Accessed October 22, 2013. http://rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. “Racial and Ethnic Diversity.” Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Accessed October 22, 2013. http://rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. “Children in Single-Parent Families.” Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Accessed October 22, 2013. http://rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. “Child Population.” Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Accessed October 22, 2013. http://rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. “Youth Violence.” Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Accessed October 22, 2013. http://rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. “Child Abuse and Neglect.” Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Accessed October 22, 2013. http://rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. “Children Witnessing Domestic Violence.” Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Accessed October 22, 2013. http://rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_464_A_PageName_E_dataindicators.